Collocations for centre - noun

dead, exact, true, very
We've bought an apartment in the very centre of São Paulo.

city, town (both esp. BrE)
soft
chocolates with soft centres

at the centre (of)
at the centre of the universe

in the centre (of)
a museum in the centre of Cairo

the centre of the city (esp. BrE), the centre of (the) town (esp. BrE)

important, leading, main, major, nerve (figurative)
the economic nerve centre of India

international, local, national, regional, world
commercial, cultural, economic, financial, industrial, trading, urban
Tokyo is one of the main financial centres of the world.

population, power

centre for
The university is a major centre for scientific research.

a centre of excellence (= a place where a particular kind of work is done well)
a centre of government, a centre of population, a centre of power

party
ground (BrE)
a party that occupies the centre ground of national politics

left of centre, right of centre
Politically, she is considered to be slightly left of centre.