Innovative Aviation Research And Development to be Co-funded By U.K. Technology Strategy Board

The U.K. Technology Strategy Board is to invest £25 million in a major new research and development program that will improve future wing design processes and help to maximize the eco-efficiency of future aircraft designs.

Part of the Technology Strategy Board’s collaborative research and development program, Next Generation Composite Wing will see 17 industrial partners - led by Airbus - join forces in one of the most significant aviation research and technology programs launched in the UK for many decades.

The total value of the program is £103 million. In addition to the Technology Strategy Board’s £25 million investment, nine regional development agencies and devolved administrations will invest a total of £26 million while the 17 industrial partners will contribute £52 million. The program follows an invitation issued by the Technology Strategy Board in 2007 for businesses to submit proposals for innovative collaborative research and development in design engineering and advanced manufacture.

Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) will keep the UK at the cutting edge of innovation in aircraft wing development. NGCW will ensure the UK is competent and well-equipped to maximize the use of weight-saving composite materials in future wing design and development. The skills and capability to design and manufacture in composite materials is vital in the aerospace industry today, helping to improve efficiency and performance while lowering both operating costs and gaseous emissions through burning less fuel.

The three-year program will bring together 17 leading British organizations, both industrial companies and research bodies. The program is led by Airbus in partnership with Advanced Composite Group, Aircraft Research Association, Atkins Ltd, Bombardier Aerospace, Delmia UK Ltd, Eaton Aerospace Ltd, GE Aviation, GE Digital Systems, GKN Transparency Systems, Goodrich Actuation Systems, Hyde Group Ltd, KuKa Automation, Messier - Dowty, Morgan Professional Services, QinetiQ Ltd, Spirit Aerosystems Ltd.

The nine regional development agencies and devolved administrations taking part in the program are: Advantage West Midlands, East Midlands Development Agency, East of England Development Agency, Invest Northern Ireland, North West Development Agency, Scottish Enterprise, South East England Development Agency, South West Regional Development Agency and Welsh Assembly Government.

Welcoming the program, Secretary of State for Innovation, Universities and Skills, John Denham said: “Aerospace is a vibrant industry. Quite rightly there is pressure to develop new technologies so that new aircraft have a reduced impact on the environment. This project is an important part of meeting that ambition. Our investment is further proof of Government’s commitment to help British business respond to those demands. This was a key part of our innovation White Paper published in March”.

Commenting on the decision to invest in the program, the Technology Strategy Board’s chief executive, Iain Gray, said: “The Technology Strategy Board’s role is to ensure that the UK is in the forefront of technology-enabled innovation. One of the organization’s key themes, as outlined in the strategic plan launched only last week, is to invest in high value manufacturing technologies, where the UK leads or could lead. We are delighted to support this vital program, which will also benefit the UK’s regions by bringing inward investment and generating high value jobs.”

Source: Technology Strategy Board

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