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ADVANCED MANUFACTURING
Continued from Page 61
Samlesbury is not the only site primed to take Lancashire forward. AeroTechNW is a new project bringing together BAE Systems, the University of Lancashire and government partners on a single site at the Warton Enterprise Zone.
The premise is a dedicated technology park established to grow the region’s skills base, build agile and resilient supply chains, and advance technology across drones, autonomy, space and future flight.
Designed as a place to co-create innovation, its defining feature is a live operational runway and fast jet flight testing environment, alongside the university’s Altitude facility –
plots, so that businesses and developers can build and locate at pace.
Anne-Marie Huck, head of regional campaigns BAE Systems Air, says: “AeroTechNW is not creating a cluster from scratch. Lancashire already has a powerful aerospace, defence and advanced manufacturing ecosystem.
“We are seeking two kinds of partner. Developers who can deliver design-and-build projects on serviced plots, and investors, both public and private, who want a stake in a site that is aligned with national priorities. Those conversations are starting to happen.
“Lancashire already has one of the UK’s deepest concentrations of aerospace skill and supply chain capability, and much of our role
Lancashire already has one of the UK’s In association with:
deepest concentrations of aerospace skill and supply chain capability
one of the largest indoor test environments in the country for uncrewed aircraft, with research labs and a business incubation hub.
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The purpose of the site is to shorten the distance from concept to capability. Rather than a conventional business park, it offers companies a working aerospace and defence environment in which to develop, test and scale.
AeroTechNW is now moving into its next phase - maturing from a newly established location into a growing cluster. The ambition is to add a new flagship technology facility alongside Altitude and to ready the site’s remaining development
is connecting that existing strength to what is happening on site.
“It is early, but the direction is encouraging. Companies are moving in, conversations are active and the pull of the cluster is beginning to build.”
The Engineering Innovation Centre (EIC) on the University of Lancashire’s Preston campus opened its doors in 2019. The £35m project looked to bring together world-leading research, leading business minds and inspiring teaching ‘in a spirit of collaboration and discovery’.
Today the EIC offers a wide-ranging portfolio
of industry engagement opportunities with tailored business support programmes in areas such as digital and additive manufacturing, product design and innovation and low carbon technologies, along with collaborative partnerships.
Facilities include an additive manufacturing lab, an advanced manufacturing workshop, an intelligent systems facility, a motorsports and air vehicles lab, a high performance computing lab, a flight simulator suite as well as a fire, oil and gas facility.
It works closely with Altitude at Warton and takes in other areas such as cyber robotics and virtual reality. Rob Aspin, head of computing and associate dean is a professor of extended reality.
He says the EIC engages with major players in the county including BAE Systems, National Cyber Force and other government agencies. However, its work with SMEs is equally important, given the university’s impressively wide range of expertise and experts.
The challenge is engaging with those smaller businesses. He explains: “A lot of businesses don’t know what we do. SMEs do not necessarily realise what we have here. They don’t know what they are looking for until they see it.”
Part of the EIC’s work is helping companies understand the business model that will enable them to adopt technologies.
Prof Aspin adds: “The opportunities for Lancashire are huge, we have an eco-system here. There is a lot of thinking around how we support these companies, how we bring together SMEs and start ups.”
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