Thinktank Birmingham Science Museum has secured £900,000 from the Heritage Lottery Fund (HLF) towards its new Made In Birmingham exhibition gallery.

The grant will help the attraction display a number of unseen collections as part of the new gallery, which is scheduled to open to the public in December 2012.

Around 1,200 objects will be put on show across five themed displays - Orientation; Nuts and Bolts; Tins and Things; Treasure; and Gadgets.

Developed in consultation with museum visitors, Made In Birmingham will help to provide a new education facility for everyone from pre-school to adult learners.

Anne Jenkins, head of the HLF for the West Midlands, said: "Thinktank can now further bring to life its nationally important Science and Industry Collection as well as the Natural Science Collection in a new gallery that will transform the experience of visitors of all ages.

"When complete it will expose the fascinating tale of Birmingham's manufacturing heritage as the 'workshop of the world', and show how innovations in materials and manufacturing from the past are paralleled in industrial developments today."

Len Clark, chair of the Thinktank Trust, added: "Birmingham has a rich and diverse heritage of manufacturing, and it's fantastic that we are able to better showcase this to our visitors."