Gordon McKechnie

The UK Government’s Industrial Strategy commitment to support our world-leading aerospace and nuclear industries shows long-term strategic foresight. It clearly recognises that both are “frontier industries” that can drive growth, deliver skilled jobs and increase UK exports.   In Aerospace, the sector is in a strong position to benefit from rising demand as the next generation of planes is developed. We wholeheartedly agree with the UK Government that the single biggest opportunity in aerospace over the next 50 years is to secure a UK engine position on next generation single aisle – or narrowbody – programmes. We also welcome the Government’s recognition that gas turbines are critical to UK national and economic security and that capitalising on our sovereign capabilities can lead to significant growth. Also welcome is the Government’s commitment to the vital research which keeps the UK’s aerospace industry at the forefront of innovation, through the extension of the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) programme to 2035.   The UK’s combat air capabilities are singled out by the Government as a growth-driving sub-sector, and we look forward to continuing to protect the UK and its allies. The Government’s intention to promote the country’s strengths in strategic, dual-use technologies to increase our defence industrial base and drive growth, will be well received across the industry. The UK Government’s plans to reduce energy costs for electricity-intensive businesses in manufacturing sectors including aerospace, will be welcome across the supply chain. In nuclear, the UK Government has clearly backed Small Modular Reactors (SMRs) “for European deployment” as we look for international opportunities, while delivering at pace on our programme in the UK. We agree with the Government that “SMRs are an emerging industry, where the UK has the potential to take the lead.”   The Government has also said it will seize the opportunities presented by Advanced Modular Reactors (AMRs) and we look forward to engaging with them to drive the UK’s homegrown capabilities in the AMR space. Our collective ambitions are clear. There is enormous potential to drive UK growth, exports, skills and jobs together throughout the decades ahead.

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Last month, our Head of Business Development for aerospace applications Jonathan Douglas-Smith 🇺🇦 spoke to Graham Warwick from Aviation Week Network about the work we are doing in the aviation sector and the position fuel cells play in zero-emission flight. "We have been developing lightweight fuel-cell stacks for aerospace since 2020 and we are now leveraging our 24 years' system development experience to develop a complete aerospace fuel cell system, inclusive of all necessary balance of plant, that can be plugged in to power a zero emission propulsion system." commented Jonathan Douglas-Smith 🇺🇦. Unveiled in 2024, the 300kW IE-FLIGHT™ system is planned for delivery in 2027. Get in touch or read the full article here: https://lnkd.in/eVcaZH5W Join us in powering the hydrogen future®️. #IntelligentEnergy #hydrogen #fuelcells #innovation #aerospace #CAA

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We've issued our first approvals for AtkinsRéalis and Marshall, both as Recognised Assessment Entities for Flightworthiness (RAE(F)) for the new generation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS). These approvals follow the introduction of our RAE(F) policy - part of the launch of our UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA). Both organisations will work with UAS Designers and UAS Operators, to provide assurance against the technical requirements of UK SORA. More information 👉 https://lnkd.in/eq6Pf5pM

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Member News🗞️ Exciting developments at Sheffield Forgemasters! Their recapitalisation plan has been boosted from £900 million to £1.3 billion to support increased capacity for defence manufacturing. This significant investment reflects the UK Government’s enhanced defence spending and the growing demand for Sheffield Forgemasters’ unique capabilities. The funding will help deliver greater resilience, faster production, and reduced lead times. We’re proud to see one of our members playing such a vital role in national security and industrial innovation. 👏 Congratulations to the team at Sheffield Forgemasters on this milestone investment! 🔗Read more here: https://lnkd.in/empBPbsC #MakeUKDefence #DefenceSupplyChains #UKManufacturing #ukmfg #UKDefence #DefenceTechnology #SupplyChainDevelopment #BusinessDevelopment Andrew Kinniburgh Estelle Exelby Samantha Hill Maria Winsper Kelly Maddison Charline Diomande James Watson Olivia Bayes-Garrould Dan Parvaz Helen Hastie Stuart Tingley Chris Hague

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