Industry lobby group ADS has urged the government to ensure that support for UK supply chains in the aerospace sector is prioritised as Brexit negotiations continue in a bid to maximise the benefits of investments in research and development (R&D), and competitiveness.
Come the year 2020, civil aircraft production rates are expected to climb by 40 per cent, which means that both small and medium-sized suppliers will have to work to improve efficiencies even more and make use of the very latest technology for manufacturing to really take advantage of the benefits of this opportunity for growth.
Since the Aerospace Growth Partnership was established, joint private and public investment made through the Aerospace Technology Institute has helped the industry drive productivity by 19 per cent since 2010.
Paul Everitt, ADS chief executive, commented: “Aerospace has been a trailblazer for industrial strategy in the UK and renewed commitment from the government is welcome as we look to overcome the challenges posed by Brexit.
“Partnership between industry and government has delivered real results in our sectors and it is important that this approach is embedded across our economy. Our sectors invest heavily in new technology and aerospace investment in R&D has risen 17 per cent to £1.4 billion this year.”
Earlier this month (November 20th), ADS also observed that increased border checks which could be implemented as a result of Brexit could lead to a possible £1.5 billion in extra costs for the aerospace sector in the UK, since about £10 billion of the industry’s annual exports are sent to the EU, the Guardian reports.
The government is now increasingly under pressure to reveal its long-term strategy for leaving the EU, with industry groups saying that clarity is required by the start of 2018 at the very latest or consumer and business interests throughout Europe will suffer.
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