Member Article

South West welcomes centre for product development

Businesses welcomed the opening of the National Composites Centre in Bristol yesterday.

The new multi-million pound site aims to lead growth by providing laboratory space for SMEs to develop their new products, and speed up the transition to market.

Vince Cable was in Bristol to to cut the tape, presenting the Centre as a great opportunity to develop and commercialise new technologies.

He said: “The South West is becoming a real hub for composites and aerospace manufacturing, and is exactly the sort of place where targeted Government support through schemes like the Regional Growth fund, can have a real benefit.

“By helping companies large and small unlock their potential for growth, we can make sure that we re-balance the economy and emerge with a stronger and more diverse industrial base.”

Aerospace industry partners GKN Aerospace, Airbus, AugustaWestland, Rolls-Royce, Umeco and Vestas all joined to welcome the new facility.

Marcus Bryson, CEO and President of GKN Aerospace and GKN Land Systems, said: “We are a founding member of the UK’s National Composites Network, launched in 2005 and are committed to the Government’s National Composites Strategy.

“This new centre will be a vital resource for the UK, assisting in extending the expertise of our manufacturing sector in the highly skilled and evolving area of composites manufacture.

“It will be a key resource for us at GKN Aerospace as we and our team of suppliers work to maximise the UK’s involvement in the growing global aerospace market over the the next 30 to 40 years.”

The Centre will facilitate collaborative links with UK universities, and will also act as the national hub for the regional composite network.

A skills academy will be developed on site, to provide the training and expertise needed for specialist technologies.

This was posted in Bdaily's Members' News section by Tom Keighley .