£35m Aerospace Research Centre Opens

Located near Milton Keynes, Cranfield University is an institution that offers postgraduate courses in technology and management. The campus has recently become home to the Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) which was officially opened last week.

The £35m facility is co-funded by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and the university and will bring together business and research with an aim to create the future of aerospace.

Research at the centre will focus on how to integrate advanced technologies, streamlining the process between the academic side and the real-life application. Ultimately, the AIRC will be good news for the industry as it seeks to solve problems and move aerospace forward into the future.

The facility is equipped with the latest research technology and equipment, including new flight simulators, a virtual wind tunnel and a FANUC robot. All of this equipment and technology is there to enable research into many areas of the aerospace industry, from drone technology to air traffic control technology.

As a structure, the research centre is huge, measuring 54ft tall, 221ft long and 131ft wide. The construction called for more than 500 tonnes of steel and 90 tonnes of glass, requiring 500 people to work on the building process.

Trevor Higgs, the head of landing gear and UK senior site representative at Airbus stated that the AIRC “will help us to foster closer relationships with research partners and to accelerate and deliver on our research strategy for the Wing of Tomorrow, to make sure our products remain the best in the world”.

It is certain that investment such as this is essential for the future of the aerospace industry. Without the input from businesses such as these, it would be incredibly difficult for the industry to keep up with ever-changing technology.

At Dean Group, we know just how important it is to invest in the future of industries such as aerospace, whether that be through an investment in people, technologies or materials. We are heavily involved in the aerospace industry, so our investment comes in the form of our processes, such as the ELITE process which is ideal for aerospace.

If you would like to find out more about our ELITE process or any of our other services, don’t hesitate to get in touch by calling 0161 775 1633 and we’ll be more than happy to help.