The new purpose-designed building will house a state-of-the-art high power and high repetition laser system.

Mace was appointed to the job through the Southern Construction Framework (SCF).

The government has announced a £81m investment in the project with funding provided through the Strategic Priorities Fund.

The appointment follows Mace’s recent successful work on two other research projects for the STFC on the Harwell campus, including the National Satellite Test Facility and the Rosalind Franklin Institute.

The centre will help researchers and industry better understand the composition of new materials and how they behave in different conditions.

Mace will work with the STFC, designers, a global concrete specialist and its supply chain partners to deliver the whole project, including the experimental areas of the building where high intensity lasers will be tested.

Terry Spraggett, Managing Director for Public Sector Construction at Mace, said: “The Extreme Photonics Application Centre is a technically complex and challenging project, and we will use our experience in delivering cutting edge research facilities to realise the client’s vision.”