Airbus has officially opened a new wing technology hub at its site near Bristol, where work on a “groundbreaking” new project will benefit from £12m in newly allocated funding.
The aerospace giant, which employs 2,700 people at its base in Filton, said the new facility would be used to accelerate the development of wings for the “next generation” of aircraft, as part of efforts to make aviation more environmentally friendly.
Work on the company’s UK-led Wing of Tomorrow programme has been continuing in South Gloucestershire and at its site in Broughton, North Wales. An international team is developing high-performing wing tech, including the incorporation of a folding-wing tip to increase lift and reduce drag during flight.
Airbus said the project had achieved a “critical milestone” when the second of three prototype eco-wings, built in Broughton, was delivered to the new Wing Technology Development Centre in Filton last week.
The firm said that, alongside engine optimisation, the longer and lighter, 17-metre composite wings could help improve fuel efficiency, reduce CO2 and ultimately work towards the aviation industry’s ambition to achieve net zero carbon emissions by 2050. Airbus itself has an ambition to develop the world's first zero-emission commercial aircraft by 2035.
Sue Partridge, who heads up Airbus’ Filton site and the Wing of Tomorrow programme said the new hub would help the company to “ground our research in practicality”.
Ms Partridge said: “It’s about preparing our people, technology, industrial system, supply chain and digital and physical capabilities for next generation aircraft. We’re leveraging industry partners and the very best digital tools and automation to identify potential technology bottlenecks that may slow us down in the future. The foundations we lay now will help us build better and faster when the time comes.”
The new facility was unveiled on Tuesday (July 4) by the minister for industry Nusrat Ghani, who also announced that work on the Wing of Tomorrow at Filton would receive £12m in combined government and industry funding.
Ms Ghani, told BusinessLive two thirds of the money was drawn from the public purse, and would help support local jobs by upskilling staff and apprentices in a range of roles, including technicians and engineers.
The minister added: “Our world-class aerospace sector is helping us grow the economy and lead the way on greener air travel, and this new project at Airbus Filton will make sure the South West stays at the forefront of this innovation.”
The funding will be delivered through the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, which will receive £685m in state funding up to 2025.
Engineering experts at Airbus told BusinessLive during a tour of the site that it would be attaching the demonstrator wing to the aircraft centre wing box later this year. Following this, its structural capabilities will be tested within its £40m AIRTeC research and development facility.
This would represent a historic moment for Filton, as the last time this type of connection was made at the site was during the production of Concorde aircraft.
Last year Airbus revealed it would further increase its innovation footprint in the South West by establishing a new hydrogen research hub in Filton. The company said this would further support the development of zero-carbon and ultra-low-emission aircraft technologies.
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