The UK aerospace industry enjoyed a total turnover of £23bn, up 10% since 2010 and, according to the ADS data, the sector has expanded 39% in just five years, driven by exports - with 90% of sales (£27.7bn) to organisations outside of the UK.
So, clearly, the sector is strategic to the economic health of the UK. It is therefore positive to see
that the outlook shows healthy growth for the foreseeable future.
From a regional perspective, with a cluster of major airports, the south-east of England is the major hub. This focus is driving innovation, research and development. New technologies, such as composite materials, are being developed putting the UK in a leading global position.
According to John Schmidt, global managing director of aerospace and defence at Accenture, aerospace companies at the leading edge of what's possible
“A combination of powerful market forces and disruptive technologies are reshaping the future of aerospace and defence, offering exciting opportunities in intelligent automation, robotics, augmented reality and wearable technology."
“Companies are already automating tasks and processes in their organisations, with extensive use in knowledge worker and IT tasks. This is set to increase across all areas of aerospace and defence. Our research shows 85% of the industry’s executives expect artificial intelligence to have a significant impact on the industry in the next three years.”
Composites are just one of many new technologies being driven by the demands of the aerospace, space and defence sectors. Another field under development is augmented reality - an innovation in which information can be overlaid onto images in the real world using a headset, smartphone or other mobile device.
“As increasing pressure to deliver on time and at-scale drives manufacturers to take a more hands-on approach to supply chain,” says Mr Schmidt, “technicians will increasingly be equipped with internet-enabled smart glasses to conduct virtual production inspections of airplane seats and other in-cabin applications.”
FAC manages and supports a large group of aerospace-related business organisations, seeking to have a portfolio of technology and industry-related companies fulfilling key aspects of the sector. These businesses can be global enterprises, small to medium sized specialists, and one-man consultants and experts with decades of experience behind them.
The aerospace sector is the jewel in the crown of the UK economy, creating highly innovative technologies that contribute overwhelmingly to the wealth for the country. We are proud to represent the best of this sector and to be regional leaders in the UK.