Forward looking aerospace company meets Scottish Enterprise chief
Prestwick-based aerospace company, Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Ltd, will welcome Scottish Enterprise chief executive, Lena Wilson today (4 March) to hear first hand the company’s ambitious plans to increase its capabilities in the use of composite materials, following a £3 million research and development (R&D) investment.
Spirit AeroSystems, which manufactures wing structures for a range of aircraft and is the largest supplier of wing structures into aerospace giant Airbus, will invest over £1.5 million alongside a Scottish Enterprise R&D grant of £1.5 million. This is to ensure they have the right technology and capability in place to compete in future aircraft programmes like the Next Generation Single Aisle (NGSA) programme. The programme will see aircraft designed to have 60 per cent of their weight in composite material which will lead to lower fuel consumption and emissions, enhanced aerodynamic efficiencies and lower manufacturing costs.
Ms Wilson will visit the company at its new research and development facility at Prestwick, which was officially opened by the First Minister in October last year during the launch of the new industry-led strategy for the aerospace, defence and marine industry.
Spirit AeroSystems plays an active role in determining and delivering the strategy and is currently leading on two of the action points in the strategic action plan as well as Dr Marcello Grassi, the company’s head of technology, chairing the research and technology sub-group of the Industry Advisory Board.
Lena Wilson, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise said: “Spirit AeroSystems is a key player in the Scottish aerospace industry and we are supporting them to create long-term significant competitive advantage – a key element of the government’s economic recovery programme.
“The NGSA programme will be critical to the sustainability of the sector in Scotland and Spirit has recognised that in order to compete, they will need to deliver innovative and cost competitive design and manufacturing methods.
“I would like to thank the management team for their continued and enthusiastic support, in particular towards delivering the new aerospace, defence and marine industry strategy. I look forward to continuing to work with them to achieve their future ambitions in growing the value and scale of their Scottish facility.”
Neil McManus, vice president and managing director of Spirit AeroSystems (Europe) Limited said: “Spirit have made massive investments to bring new technology into Scotland in terms of developing new materials like composites and their use in the latest high tech aircraft in development, the Airbus A350XWB. The future support of Scottish Enterprise is a vital part of making sure that we stay at the forefront of this industry for decades to come.”
The company directly employs around 850 people at its Prestwick facility and this new investment will create six new jobs and indirectly support a further 750 high value aerospace jobs.
Scottish Enterprise has worked with the company for a number of years and recently announced the acceptance of a Regional Selective Assistance (RSA) grant for over £1 million which will safeguard over 80 jobs through design, engineering, manufacture and assembly of aerostructures.
The visit comes just after the recent announcement by Ryanair to build a second maintenance hangar at Prestwick Airport which will see 200 new jobs created.
Contact Information
Julia McLaren
Engagement Partner
Scottish Enterprise
0300 013 3223
07801 794046