£15m for GKN’s new tech centre

A £15 MILLION investment of taxpayer money at Bristol-based GKN was announced yesterday, as ministers hailed the importance of the West’s aerospace sector.

Business Secretary Greg Clark was in the city on the first anniversary of the Government’s so-called “industrial strategy” being launched.

Mr Clark, who met with industry figures and West political leaders at the We The Curious museum, announced a £15 million government investment for GKN Aerospace’s new Global Technology Centre in Bristol.

The centre is expected to open in 2020 and will ensure the UK is a hub for world-class innovative technology for the next generation of fuel-efficient aircraft.

The company, which was taken over by turnaround specialist Melrose earlier this year, has itself invested £17 million in the project.

Mr Clark, who has previously faced criticism for the “industrial strategy” being overshadowed by Brexit, was bullish on the region’s potential. He said: “Our modern industrial strategy is the Government’s long-term plan for preparing and investing in our post-Brexit economy. And I could be in no better place than Bristol to mark this first anniversary. It is an honour to be visiting a city that has been at the heart of British industrial innovation for centuries.

“Bristol still exerts this influence. You can see it in the world-leading advanced manufacturing plants of GKN, and the global cultural impact of animation companies like Aardman. This region is at the heart of innovations driving the world.

“The UK’s contribution to the global aerospace industry cannot be underestimated. But we are not complacent. The future of aerospace is cleaner, greener, and more efficient, and we want the UK to be the pioneers of new technology that will pave the way for increased electrification and autonomy in commercial aviation.”

Once open, the 10,000sq m GKN Global Technology Centre will host 300 highly-skilled engineers and will include collaborative space for research and development with universities, the UK’s CATAPULT network and GKN Aerospace’s UK supply chain.

The University of Bristol is one of several institutes whose researchers and PhD students will benefit from the opportunities that will emerge once the centre opens.

The centre will be in Filton near the Village Hotel Bristol on the A38.