UK Business Information / Aerospace and Defence
34 aerospace and defence companies are listed in the UK1000, all of which feature in the G1000. R&D investment in this sector grew more quickly in the UK than globally in 2008.
The aerospace and defence sector was the second largest contributor to R&D in the UK1000 and the seventh largest in the G1000 in 2008
SOUTH WEST
The South West is at the forefront of the UK aerospace and defence industry. This is primarily due to the Ministry of Defence (MOD) and its associated research and manufacturing departments being in the area, some of which control huge budgets. Defence Equipment & Support (DE&S) in Bristol, for example, employs over 7,000 people and has a budget in excess of £13 billion.
The Defence Science and Technology Laboratory (DSTL), at Porton Down, Salisbury, is one of the largest research organisations in Europe, employing over 3,500 people. An agency of the MOD, it exists to provide impartial, scientific and technical research and advice to the MOD and other government departments.
Civil aerospace projects run by global companies such as Boeing and Airbus, account for half of the aerospace industry in the South West. The region is a world leader in airframes, engines, equipment, rotorcraft and UAVs. Other aerospace companies involved in the region include Rolls-Royce, AgustaWestland, BAE Systems, Cobham and GKN Aerospace.
Links between all of these companies and university research departments remain strong, as do links with the 900 (approx) companies in the South West's aerospace supply chain. These companies are an integral part of the aerospace industry in the region and the West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) exists to serve their interests.
The University of Bristol is one of the UK's leading providers of aerospace research and teaching, with particular expertise in aerodynamics, fluid dynamics, composite materials and structures. The Advanced Composite Centre for Innovation and Science (ACCIS) and the Bristol Laboratory for Advanced Dynamic Engineering (BLADE) are both part of Bristol University's R&D department and are both leaders in their respective research fields, BLADE being the most advanced facility for dynamic engineering in Europe.
Bath, Exeter and Plymouth universities all have cutting-edge aerospace R&D departments, too, as does the University of the West of England. The latter runs the Continuing Professional development in Aerospace (CPDA) programme, an industry-led multi-disciplinary aerospace postgraduate course.
