Airbus announces major investment in UK aerospace sector
The commitment by Airbus, the aerospace industry and the two governments will allow the UK to continue at the cutting edge of new technology and innovation.
The research and development elements of these projects will be carried out with the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI), a £2 billion joint investment between industry and government aimed at developing the research and development activity necessary for the UK to win work on future aerospace programmes.
Announcing the ATI funding at the Trade and Investment Summit in Newport, Prime Minister David Cameron said: “Aerospace is a real cornerstone of British business, supporting over 100,000 jobs across the UK and is worth over £27bn to our economy every year. With today’s investment we are backing our aerospace sector so that it continues to thrive, as key part of our long-term economic plan to back business, create jobs and secure a brighter future for Britain.”
Also speaking at the summit, Wales’ First Minister Carwyn Jones AM said: “Once again, this is an example of us supporting our anchor companies to succeed. The aerospace industry is so important to Wales and we need to make sure that the skills of our workforce move at the pace of technological development in this field.
Airbus President and CEO, Fabrice Brégier (right) said: “The success of Airbus relies on being an innovative company and the UK plays a pivotal role in this through its wing design and production activities.
“The British aerospace sector is a world leader and this investment by our government partners recognises the huge economic benefits of highly skilled, high value engineering. We have already invested significantly in our UK sites in the last decade and this announcement continues our commitment.”
A total of £48 million is being invested in a project at the Broughton plant in North Wales which will develop new systems and technologies for building aircraft wings. This includes a proportion of funding provided collaboratively by Airbus and the government for research and development which will inform these changes.
Speaking about the investment, Paul Everitt, chief executive of aerospace trade organisation ADS Group commented:
"This is good news for UK industry and a positive demonstration of the value of the Aerospace Growth Partnership. Investing in future technologies will sustain our global competitiveness and support growth at all levels of the supply chain."
CEO of the Aerospace Technology Institute, Gary Elliott, said,
“These five strategic projects, with investment by the ATI and Airbus, are crucial for UK plc. They will enhance the aerospace sector’s capabilities, increase its future competitiveness, and help attract further investments. These projects set an excellent standard, engaging the supply chain throughout the UK and leveraging the UK’s world beating research infrastructure to produce greener aircraft more efficiently.”
The Welsh Government has also committed a further £8.1million over the next five years for training and upskilling of those already working in Welsh aerospace and will help train the Welsh workforce to fully exploit the investment in new technology.
Around 10,000 people work at the two Airbus plants in Filton, near Bristol and Broughton, North Wales and the UK plants are responsible for designing, testing and manufacturing the wings for the whole family of Airbus commercial airliners. A further 100,000 people are employed through the extensive UK supply chain, which is worth around £2 billion annually to the British economy.
