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- Celebrating Filton’s aerospace heritage
- Learning centre to encourage the next generation of engineers
GKN Aerospace is pleased to announce a three-year programme of support for the Bristol Aerospace Centre, currently under construction at Filton.
The centre will not only showcase Bristol’s aerospace heritage and provide a permanent home for Concorde 216, but will also aim to inspire the next generation of engineers through its learning, training and skills programme, particularly in science, technology, engineering and mathematics.
GKN Aerospace will also support the development of the centre, helping to create some of the exhibits, and showcasing the latest technological advances that will take the aerospace industry into the next 100 years.
Nigel Stein, CEO GKN plc said ‘We are extremely proud of GKN’s rich engineering heritage. Our company has been at the forefront of engineering for over 250 years, and our Filton site has over 100 years of aviation history, and we are delighted to be able to support this important community development.’
John Pritchard, CEO GKN Aerospace Aerostructures Europe added ‘The Bristol Aerospace Centre will be a unique project, not only to celebrate our history, but more importantly, to inspire and encourage the next generation of engineering talent, through the investment in learning and skills development, helping to sustain the South West’s world-class aerospace industry.’
Lloyd Burnell, Project Director, said ‘I am delighted that GKN are supporting the Bristol Aerospace Centre. They are a major player in the region’s aerospace industry with a large annual intake of manufacturing apprentices and strong connections with local education partners including as a sponsor of the Bristol Technology and Engineering Academy. We very much look forward to working with GKN to encourage more young people to consider taking up learning pathways in science, technology and engineering’.
The £18.5m centre is due to open in the summer of 2017.
About GKN
GKN plc is a global engineering group. It has four divisions; GKN Aerospace, GKN Driveline, GKN Powder Metallurgy and GKN Land Systems, which operate in the aerospace, automotive and land systems markets. Over 55,000 people work in GKN companies and joint ventures in more than 30 countries. GKN is listed on the London Stock Exchange (LSE: GKN) and recorded sales of GBP7.7 billion in the year to 31 December 2015.
GKN Aerospace is a global first tier supplier of wing, fuselage and engine structures, nacelle systems, landing gear and wiring systems, transparencies, ice protection systems and aftermarket services, with sales of GBP 2.5bn in 2015 and a global workforce of over 17,000 employees. It has a significant participation on all major aircraft programmes today and a broad customer base spanning commercial, military, business aerospace and space markets. The company’s extensive engineering capability and clear focus on targeted innovation has created technological and manufacturing leads in each of its areas of expertise.
The Bristol Aerospace Centre is a new industrial heritage museum and learning centre being developed at Filton, to the north of Bristol. It will tell the story of the region's world-class aerospace industry – past, present and future. The project is being run by the Bristol Aero Collection Trust and has already secured significant funding from corporate partners and the Heritage Lottery Fund.. More information is available at http://www.bristolaero.org/
