Engineering news
The £2 billion partnership between government and industry that will see the creation of a specialised aerospace technology centre is “transformational” for the sector, trade body ADS has said.
Paul Everitt, the newly-appointed chief executive of ADS, said it was the commitment to long-term funding that would send a signal to OEMs such as Airbus and Boeing that the UK aerospace sector meant business. “It's not just the quantum of money, which is important, but it is the commitment to long-term funding,” he said.
“Industry can look ahead clearly for seven years and understand the contribution that government is going to make.”
Government has committed £1 billion which will be matched by industry and see the creation of a new Aerospace Technology Institute that will focus on creating systems and components for quieter, energy-efficient aircraft.
Everitt said that the duration of funding for the project was key. “It's through the election and the lifetime of the next parliament; not only is this a big commitment, but it's very clear that it also has broad political support.”
The government claimed the investment would secure up to 115,000 jobs in the aerospace industry and its supply chain. The aerospace industry has been relatively buoyant recently.
The announcement was welcomed by the IMechE. Philippa Oldham, head of transport and manufacturing at the institution, said: “This will not only help secure the UK’s market share by stimulating innovation but will also provide the stability for the industry and its supply chain that will lead to the creation of another 115,000 jobs.
“The UK needs to be at the forefront of technologies like renewable and intelligent passenger aeroplanes if it is to compete with countries like the US and China.”
The Technology Strategy Board (TSB) also welcomed the government’s “new industrial strategy” for aerospace. Business secretary Vince Cable highlighted the need for an industrial strategy that supported business in a speech last year. It seems the aerospace deal is the first concrete example of that.
TSB chief executive Iain Gray said: “Aerospace is among the most technologically demanding of sectors. It is one where innovation in processes, materials or technologies can give the developer a global competitive advantage. The creation of an Aerospace Technologies Institute will help the UK retain its leading role in this area.
“Within 20 years, the global aerospace market could be worth $4.5 trillion. The world wants cleaner, quieter, more efficient aircraft. The new Aerospace Technologies Institute can help ensure that the UK gets a large share of that business.
“The Technology Strategy Board, with its experience of leveraging the wealth of innovative ideas in the UK’s business community, will play a full part in realising that potential.”
The Aerospace Technologies Institute is expected to work with some of the existing Catapult centres. Everitt said the combination of these new resources would prove vital to the health of manufacturing industry. He said they would work to make the UK an attractive place for inward investment by manufacturers. “It is a fantastically supportive eco-structure for technology and innovation in Britain,” he said.
“From the depths of the financial crisis we've seen grow a re-evaluation of manufacturing and engineering in the UK, and we now have real support across the political spectrum for the role that manufacturing can play in the future of the economy.
“Today is very important: it is the first sectoral industrial strategy that has been published, and signals the clear intent and determination by government to secure economic growth and industrial success.”