A new sports engineering hub is set to be developed at Silverstone, which will provide a range of new spaces to help develop products and test performance.
The Institution of Mechanical Engineering reported that aerodynamics specialist TotalSim will develop the 2,400 sq m facility, which will feature two wind tunnels. One will be specifically designed for sports including cycling, wheelchair athletics, speed skating, skeleton and running. The other will be for testing fabrics.
As well as providing a state-of-the-art space for prototyping and the testing of new products, the new facility will also contain offices, design studios and workshops
64 new jobs will be created when the hub opens next year, as well as ten apprenticeships. In total, the space will support 45 enterprises.
Rob Lewis, managing director of TotalSim, commented: “Tapping into the world-class high-tech skills pool around Silverstone enables us to create a unique innovation incubator for companies in sports engineering and services.”
He added that they aim to put the UK “at the forefront of the development of aerodynamic technologies” through this facility.
The company also hopes that this will spur other similar developments around sports science, engineering and education around Silverstone.
Facilities such as these could be important for attracting more young people into the profession. Earlier this year, an aerospace engineering graduate told the Guardian that changing technology could help make engineering a more attractive career prospect for young people.
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