http://www.nwda.co.uk/pdf/Aerospace

AEROSPACE IN ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

GENERATING 1/3 OF THE UK’S AEROSPACE TURNOVER

Manchester

Liverpool

Cheshire

Lancashire

Cumbria

KEY STRENGTHS OF ENGLAND’S NORTHWEST

A global centre for military and civil aerospace

Generating sales of £6.8bn a year

75% of turnover is exports

Home to BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce

Europe’s aerospace capital The Northwest has one of the largest and most sophisticated aerospace industries in the world England’s Northwest is a true global player in aerospace.

The sheer number of people employed, the number of companies involved at all levels of the supply chain, and the sales generated by the sector, place it firmly at the forefront of European aerospace innovation.

Boasting a huge range of aerospace companies, employing a highly-skilled workforce of more than 50,000 people, the Northwest’s civil and military aerospace sector generates almost £7 billion in sales each year, 75% of which is from exports. This represents around a third of the UK’s £20 billion total aerospace turnover. Important strengths of the Northwest’s expertise include airframe design and manufacture, final assembly and aircraft engine subsystems.

Three major global players – BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus – are investing hundreds of millions in their Northwest operations, and there is a wealth of R&D and engineering talent in the region’s cutting edge research centres and universities. This has naturally resulted in the growth of a supply chain which works alongside these global leaders on some of the most exciting technological developments in the world. Companies like Hyde Aero Products, Unison Engine Components or Aircelle, are

working closely with industry partners on state-of-the-art projects such as the next generation of unmanned aircraft, the latest composite structures and titanium components or environmentally friendly aero engines.

Perhaps more than most sectors, however, the requirements and challenges of the aerospace industry are constantly developing. To help meet these emerging challenges, the region is already planning for the future through initiatives like the Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence programme, an innovative programme to ensure the aerospace supply chain continues to compete globally; and the Northwest Composites Centre, which brings together the combined composites expertise of four universities.

The Northwest’s excellent transport connections are another major benefit for investors. The region is one of the best connected in the UK, whether by road, rail, sea or air.

There are three international airports, including Manchester – the largest UK airport outside London.

The comprehensive road infrastructure is unrivalled. It is at the heart of the UK’s motorway network and is the best connected intercity train route in Europe.

WORKINGTON

BARROW

A HIGHLY SKILLED AEROSPACE WORKFORCE OF MORE THAN 50,000 PEOPLE.

BURNLEY BLACKBURN

BOLTON

WARRINGTON

City Town Airport Port University R&D Centre

Map source: Ordnance Survey Crown Copyright 2009 All Rights Reserved GD021102

Future technologies BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus are at the heart of the region’s engineering expertise For almost a century, the Northwest has been synonymous with aircraft production and innovation, having built Halifax bombers, Wellingtons, Lancaster bombers and Hunters, through to modern quiet jets such as the BAE 146.

Some of the industry’s most innovative programmes, including the Nimrod MRA4, Tornado, Eurofighter Typhoon, Hawker, Airbus wings and RB-211 jet engine, are Northwest made. In fact, more than 100 types of aircraft can trace their beginnings to the region.

Few industries move as fast as aerospace, and the Northwest, with its leading edge R&D expertise, global aerospace majors and dynamic supply chain, is already building for the future. Aerospace companies in the region are involved in many of the pioneering technologies that are either critical to the industry’s future, such as the challenges of environmentally friendly aerospace or composite technologies, or which have the potential to be major growth areas in coming decades, such as unmanned autonomous vehicles (UAVs).

Next generation military aircraft BAE Systems, Europe’s largest defence company, is a standard bearer for the Northwest’s aerospace strengths.

Its sites in Lancashire are celebrated as world class lean manufacturing facilities, along with other BAE locations in Greater Manchester.

At Samlesbury, near Preston, BAE Systems provides manufacturing and support capabilities to a number of internationally important aircraft programmes. It is one of the few places in the UK entrusted with the final assembly for major programmes like the Eurofighter Typhoon, the most advanced swing-role aircraft in the world. In addition to final assembly, BAE’s manufacturing responsibilities include the Typhoon’s front fuselage, canopy, dorsal spine, tail fin and rear fuselage.

BAE is currently investing hundreds of millions of pounds at Samlesbury, evidence of its confidence in and commitment to the Northwest’s aerospace sector. The first stage of the development involves a £50 million office scheme to provide a home for the skilled staff required to

work on the Eurofighter, as well as the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) F-35 Lightning II. Dave Holmes, Investment and Strategic Planning Director for BAE Systems Military Air Solutions business, says: “BAE Systems is a substantial contributor to the UK economy with around half of its UK employees based in the Northwest. The Samlesbury development demonstrates our commitment to the region. This investment will help ensure that Samlesbury remains an important centre of excellence for aerospace engineering, manufacture and product support in the Northwest.”

The company is currently working in partnership with American multi-nationals Lockheed Martin and Northrop Grumman to develop the JSF, a short take off and vertical landing aircraft. BAE Systems’ particular focus is mainly on the airframe, including manufacture of the fuselage, vertical and horizontal tails and wing tips. At its peak, it will manufacture more than one aircraft every day by 2016.

Unmanned aircraft technology Warton, another major BAE site near Preston, Lancashire, is the headquarters for the company’s Autonomous Systems and Future Capability business unit. It is a world leader in both civil and military Unmanned Autonomous Systems (UAS), a massive growth area in the global aerospace market, with significant supply chain opportunities for hi-tech manufacturing and advanced engineering companies.

BAE Systems’ HERTI (High Endurance Rapid Technology Insertion) aircraft has been developed for low-level reconnaissance and is equipped with cameras, sensors and advanced avionics. UAS have already been used with considerable success in areas of conflict like Afghanistan.

However, there are also potential civilian uses, as HERTI’s low-cost and endurance level, along with its reliability and image taking ability, make it ideal for reconnaissance and surveillance missions in both the military and civil sectors.

BAE Systems is also developing Mantis, a much larger UAS that may be able to carry missile systems, and Taranis, a combat vehicle, with the Ministry of Defence.

THE JOINT STRIKE FIGHTER IS THE LARGEST MILITARY AIRCRAFT PROGRAMME IN HISTORY AND IS ALREADY PROVIDING SUBSTANTIAL OPPORTUNITIES FOR THE NORTHWEST SUPPLY CHAIN.

INNOVATIVE PROGRAMMES

Next Generation Composite Wing

F-35 Joint Strike Fighter

Trent 900/1000 engines

Eurofighter Typhoon

Unmanned Autonomous Systems

Perfect partners The Northwest is where Henry Rolls famously met Charles Royce. The company they founded now employs some 1,000 people at sites in Barnoldswick, Lancashire; Winsford, Cheshire and Barrow-in-Furness, Cumbria making a significant contribution to the regional economy.

Rolls-Royce designs and manufactures engines and engine components for many of the most advanced commercial aircraft in the world, including the Airbus A380 ‘superjumbo’, which is powered by Rolls-Royce Trent 900 engines, and the Boeing 787 Dreamliner, which uses the company’s latest Trent 1000 engine. The Trent 900 and Trent 1000 are among the biggest, most powerful and most environmentally efficient engines in the world.

The company’s main Northwest operations at Barnoldswick manufacture wide chord hollow titanium fan blades for all the Trent engine family.

The Northwest, with its leading edge R&D expertise, global aerospace majors and dynamic supply chain, is already building for the future.

Wing expertise The Airbus UK facility at Broughton, just outside Chester, may geographically be in North Wales, but its supply chain and influence stretch right across the Northwest and 60% of its employees live in the region. Broughton is Airbus’ international centre of excellence in wing and pylon technology. The site, which employs 6,500 highly-skilled people, is responsible for assembling every wing of all the 5,820 Airbus aircraft which have been delivered to date. This includes the advanced design wings on Airbus’ flagship A380 525-seater airliner.

In recent years, the Airbus site has seen major investments totalling more than £2 billion in facilities and infrastructure improvements. Airbus is currently building a state-of-the-art facility for wing assembly of the new extra wide bodied A350 XWB aircraft, more than half of which will be made of composites. Broughton also manufactures and assembles wings and fuselages for the Hawker executive jet.

In May 2008, the Government announced its Next Generation Composite Wing (NGCW) programme, with Airbus as the lead partner. This £103 million programme will help ensure the Northwest’s position at the cutting edge of innovation in aircraft wing development and the use of weightsaving composite materials in wing design and development.

FAN BLADES FOR THE FUTURE Rolls-Royce Trent engines derive a considerable part of their efficiency from their state-of-theart hollow titanium fan blades.

These new generation ‘swept’ wide-chord fan blades have an innovative scimitar-shaped leading edge, which ensures lower noise levels and significantly greater aerodynamic efficiency. The latest fan blade technology involves pumping inert gas into a titanium bonded shell to expand the blade in a

specially-shaped form. The result is a fan blade that is as strong as a regular fan blade, but which is 80% hollow and therefore hugely lighter. RollsRoyce’s Barnoldswick site is a centre of excellence for this highly specialised component, producing around 4,700 Trent fan blades every year. This figure is predicted to grow considerably due to increased demand from the Airbus A350 XWB and JSF programmes.

THE AIRBUS A350 XWB WING MANUFACTURED AT BROUGHTON WILL BE ALMOST COMPLETELY MADE OF CARBON.

Network of suppliers The region has the largest concentration of aerospace companies in the country There are around 250 companies feeding into the Northwest’s aerospace supply chain, from small, specialist component manufacturers to the largest prime contractors. This is the UK’s largest concentration of aerospace companies and ensures the region’s aerospace sector competes on a truly global scale.

With three primes in the region, there is a constant flow of work to aerospace companies across the supply chain, covering all areas of the industry, from wing assembly, composites and power, to aircraft systems, maintenance, repair and overhaul, and unmanned autonomous vehicles.

Hyde Aero Products is one of four Northwest companies that in 2009 was awarded a £250 million, 10-year contract to work with BAE Systems on the Joint Strike Fighter (JSF) programme, the largest military aircraft programme in history. The other three companies are RLC Callender in Altham, Lancashire; John Huddleston Engineering of Blackpool and Thyssenkrupp, based at Bamber Bridge near Preston.

“There are around 18,000 parts on the F35 and a fair proportion of them will be manufactured and machined in the Northwest,” says Philip Hughes, Managing Director of Hyde Aero Products.

Hyde Aero Products has been involved on different stages of JSF for over 10 years, providing titanium machining and

other specialist machined products. This latest contract will see it providing a suite of metal-based components for the aircraft’s aft fuselage and horizontal and vertical tails, some of which it will machine itself and others in partnership with BAE System’s own machining capabilities.

This kind of close partnership working is key to successful programmes like the JSF, Rolls-Royce Trent engines or Airbus wings, and it is firmly embedded in the Northwest supply chain. It is a collaborative ethos that helps to reduce costs, improve quality and lead to a more responsive, customerfocused supply chain. Suppliers and purchasers share their best practice approaches to business planning and forecasts, and work together to achieve agreed goals, like reviewing designs to see if life-cycle costs can be reduced and quality improved. Indeed, suppliers are frequently part of integrated project teams, which has efficiency benefits for the whole supply chain.

“By working together across the supply chain, there are simple areas where we can save costs, such as utility bills, or manufacturing processes and equipment, like consumable cutters and machine tools,” says Hughes.

This approach has now been carried forward with the four supply companies now working closely together with BAE Systems in the first Supplier Association, a key part of the Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence programme.

WORKING IN UNISON TO IMPROVE SUSTAINABILITY Unison Engine Components in Burnley is a key UK partner for Rolls-Royce on the Environmentally Friendly Engine (EFE) programme. EFE is part of the National Aerospace Technology Strategy to reduce aircraft carbon emissions by 50% per passenger kilometre, noise emissions by 50% and oxides of nitrogen by 80% by 2020.

Unison is taking a lead role in the research and development of an alternative concept of low emissions fuel injector for the EFE project. Salford University has also been involved with some of the R&D around computational fluid dynamics to predict

250 companies

performance of fuel technology and to improve the fuel mixing and evaporation process. Other regional companies involved as sub-contractors include Track Precision Machining, Crest Engineering, The Hyde Group, GKN Aerospace Engine Products and Alstom’s facility in Lancashire.

Unison provides gas turbine fabrications, fuel nozzles, repair and overhaul and instrumentation, to major aero, industrial and marine gas turbine manufacturers world-wide. With around 400 employees in Lancashire, the company is a subsidiary of GE Engine Services based in the US.

UK’s largest concentration of aero firms

Close partnership working is key to successful programmes like the JSF, Rolls-Royce Trent engines or Airbus wings, and it is firmly embedded in the Northwest supply chain.

3 primes in the region

‘‘WE FULLY ENDORSE THE NWAA’S ASCE PROGRAMME. IT IS A GREAT INITIATIVE – IT IS MAKING A REAL DIFFERENCE.” Chris Boardman, Managing Director, Typhoon Mission Support and International Programmes, BAE Systems

Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence Programme (ASCE) Led by the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA) and supported by all of the industry’s key players, the Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence programme (ASCE) has been designed to enhance the world class capabilities of the region’s supplier network.

Launched in 2006 and backed by £4.2 million of funding from the Northwest Regional Development Agency (NWDA), as well as contributions from Airbus UK, BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce, ASCE is the first co-ordinated approach to supplier development in the UK aerospace industry, helping smaller aerospace companies to understand and respond to the needs of the sector’s prime contractors, such as BAE, Rolls-Royce and Airbus.

“We fully endorse the NWAA’s ASCE programme. It is a great initiative – it is making a real difference,” says BAE Systems’ Chris Boardman, Managing Director, Typhoon Mission Support and International Programmes.

So far, the ASCE programme has attracted more than £8 million in funding and is helping 45 companies to achieve world-competitive status. It has provided the equivalent of1,000 man-days of training to more than 700 people involved in the Northwest aerospace industry.

NWAA: SUPPORTING THE INDUSTRY The North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), established in 1994, represents around 750 companies working in the aerospace supply chain. It is the largest aerospace sector organisation in Europe. Now a model for other industry-led organisations throughout the world, it promotes the on-going development and excellence of the Northwest’s aerospace supply chain through pioneering training programmes, and provides support and consultation on all regional, national and international issues affecting the aerospace industry.

To find out more, visit aerospace.co.uk

A £7 million ASCE 2 programme, running to 2011, aims to further develop the partnerships through five key areas. It will ensure that the region’s 45 strategic aerospace companies all receive the necessary training and coaching to move their business performance towards world class. The adoption of the common language, common culture, common vision and common objectives of the ASCE programme is vital to move the Northwest aerospace sector to work as an industry.

Pioneering research The Northwest boasts world-leading universities and science institutes for aerospace R&D The practical, partnership approach of the private, public and academic sectors helps to make the Northwest a hotbed of aerospace research and development expertise. There is a higher concentration of universities here than in any other region in the UK, and the Northwest is at the forefront of major technical innovations such as composites, computational modelling and autonomous vehicles.

The Northwest Composites Centre, based at Manchester University, is a partnership between the universities of Lancaster, Liverpool, Manchester and Bolton, works closely with industry and is at the forefront of composites technology in the UK. It researches technical textile structures, auxetic materials, rapid low cost processing, infrastructure aerospace applications, characterisation and fire performance.

In 2009 the Composites Centre launched a new £8 million Composites Certification and Evaluation Facility (CCEF) to provide a cutting-edge test facility for composites and composite structures as the aerospace industry makes the transition from metallic manufacturing to composite manufacturing.

Also at Manchester University is the Aerospace Research Institute (ARI). The ARI brings together all aspects of aerospace research across the university at both the graduate and post-graduate level, providing highly specific research expertise to the industry. Research areas range from advanced materials and structures, to synthetic environments and autonomous systems.

In Liverpool City Region, the pioneering research and design facilities at Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus offer major opportunities for world class knowledge exchange and collaboration. Hi-tech areas of aerospace-related expertise at Daresbury include computational science, neutron science, imaging, space science, materials and detector technology.

One of Daresbury’s leading capabilities is supercomputing, a world class resource that enables it to carry out extremely

MAJOR R&D CENTRES

complex aerodynamic modelling. Its expertise in neutron science underpins its research in avionics and feeds into its research in novel temperature and pressure sensors.

BAE Systems recently called on Daresbury’s computer modelling and simulation expertise to help develop a pioneering total aircraft simulation programme for aerodynamics research. Daresbury’s supercomputing and modelling researchers developed a new multi-processor modelling system which delivered total aircraft simulations up to 80 times faster than previously possible, saving time and money, and helping keep BAE Systems at the forefront of aerospace technology.

Another ground-breaking facility at Daresbury is the Northwest Virtual Engineering Centre (VEC). This brings together the universities of Liverpool and Manchester, the computational science and engineering department at Daresbury Laboratory, Northwest Aerospace Alliance members, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce and Airbus. VEC enables companies to develop digital simulations, or virtual representations, of systems throughout their life cycle to predict behaviour and aid rapid decision making.

At Manchester Metropolitan University, the Centre for Air Transport and the Environment supports the sustainable development of the aviation industry through high level research and analysis, while Lancaster University is one of the main academic research centres for work on Unmanned Autonomous Vehicles, including the ASTRAEA programme, where it is the principal investigator on two projects focusing on adaptive routing and collision avoidance systems.

ASTRAEA is the Autonomous Systems Technology Related Airborne Evaluation and Assessment programme.

Part of the government’s National Aerospace Technology Strategy, ASTRAEA is a national collaboration focusing on the systems, procedures and technologies required to allow UAVs to operate in manned airspace. BAE Systems is one of the programme’s leaders.

Northwest Composites Centre

Aerospace Research Institute

Daresbury Science & Innovation Campus

Competence in composites If the future of the aerospace could be summed up in one word, it would be ‘composites’. Their strength, lightness, flexibility and versatility makes them pivotal to the industry’s future, and nowhere in the UK has more capability in composites than the Northwest.

The region’s aerospace composites sector benefits from decades of experience in aircraft manufacturing, with several large military aircraft programmes.

Northwest companies like Assystem UK, Sigmatex and Advanced Composites Group supply composite products to major programmes such as the Airbus A380 and the A350 XWB, Eurofighter Typhoon, Joint Strike Fighter, Next Generation Composite Wing and Boeing 787 Dreamliner.

Taranis Unmanned Combat Air Vehicle by BAE Systems

Preparing our people With12 universities and numerous quality colleges, the region has a large, highly-skilled labour force One of the Northwest’s greatest strengths in aerospace is the skills and training of the workforce. Over one-third of the UK’s aerospace industry is in the Northwest, directly employing around 50,000 people.

As the cradle of the industrial revolution and the mainstay of the UK’s nuclear, engineering, defence and manufacturing sectors, the region has a proud international heritage and established skills base in developing, manufacturing and assembling large systems, sub-systems and components.

The Northwest’s 12 universities, which includes the University of Manchester – top 10 in Europe and top 30 in the world – as well as Salford, Liverpool, Lancaster and Central Lancashire, produce thousands of engineering graduates and post-graduates each year.

The strong bias towards engineering and the manufacturing of large systems – from submarines and surface ships to tanks and aircraft – means there is a long and strong tradition of apprenticeships, with a host of top quality further educational colleges training up younger workers and apprentices for the aerospace and advanced engineering sectors.

Further education colleges like Burnley, Preston and Blackburn produce thousands of young engineers every year at NVQ level 3 (technician) and above, and work closely with aerospace employers to provide on-going training and apprenticeships for younger workers.

At NVQ levels 4 and 5 (degree level and above), a number of other universities and higher education institutions run relevant courses for prospective aerospace employees and employers.

These include the University of Liverpool, which has a five-star rating in mechanical, aeronautical and manufacturing sciences and offers several aerospace-related courses.

The University of Salford is highly regarded for a number of aerospace related degrees it offers, accredited by the Royal Aeronautical Society and the Institute of Mechanical Engineers. Its facilities include three flight simulation systems.

The University of Central Lancashire’s Faculty of Design & Technology, operates a BAE Systems-funded nondestructive evaluation course, and Macclesfield College runs the European Centre for Aerospace Training, which is rated as one of the best graduate and pre-graduate level aerospace engineering centres in the UK.

More universities than any other region

COLLEGES LIKE BURNLEY, PRESTON AND BLACKBURN PRODUCE THOUSANDS OF YOUNG ENGINEERS EVERY YEAR WORKING WITH THE AEROSPACE EMPLOYERS.

5-star rated engineering courses

The bigger picture With a larger economy than Hong Kong, more than a million graduates and a leader in R&D, the Northwest is an ideal location for investors The Northwest sits at the centre of the UK, stretching from Cumbria in the north to Cheshire in the south, with two of the most dynamic and cultural cities in Manchester and Liverpool.

The economy is both large in size – bigger than 15 EU countries, standing at £120 billion, with 252,000 businesses – and scale; being home to many of the world’s leading R&D investors, including AstraZeneca and Unilever as well as BAE Systems and Rolls-Royce. Annual private sector expenditure is over £2.2 billion; placing the region ahead of many European countries.

The region has more than seven million people – almost twice the population of Ireland. In terms of skills, there is a strong tradition of advanced engineering expertise, serving specialist areas including the aerospace, automotive and chemicals industries. However, it is the strength and depth in a variety of sectors which ensures a strong and growing European region. It is the second biggest media hub in Europe, is the continent’s largest biomanufacturing region and a leader in biotech innovation. It is also a centre for financial and professional services, with a heritage of wealth management, banking, legal and accountancy experience in the Northwest’s key locations including Manchester, Liverpool and Chester. This is in addition to its position as a world leader in nuclear energy. The region’s experience and expertise will prove to be significant as the UK enters a new era of nuclear energy. It also provides essential skills for renewable energy and environmental technology.

Well connected It is also one of the best connected regions in the UK, easily accessed both nationally and internationally by road, rail, sea or air.

There are three international airports in the Northwest, flying to over 270 destinations worldwide: Liverpool John Lennon, Blackpool International and Manchester International – the UK’s largest airport outside London.

The comprehensive road infrastructure is unrivalled, boasting 70% more motorways than the national average.

The region is at the crossroads of the key North-South (M6) and East-West (M62/M56) motorway networks, providing direct access to all British major cities within four hours.

A top 10 European university The beautiful landscape of Wastwater, the Lake District.

The region is equally well serviced by the rail network.

Over 39 trains per day travel the route between Manchester and central London, with journeys taking just over two hours, making this Europe’s most connected intercity route.

The line links the Northwest to London, Scotland and mainland Europe via the Channel Tunnel.

Gateway to America The region’s large coastline ensures a strong network of ports, including Liverpool, one of Europe’s leading container ports and a main trading route with North America. The port handles 32 million tonnes of cargo annually, 700,000 containers, while Liverpool Freeport is the UK’s largest Free Zone with over three million square foot of logistics and warehousing facilities.

The Port is linked to the Port of Manchester via the Ship Canal, with 15,000 combined annual ship movements between the two ports.

The New Cruise Liner adds another dimension, hosting the world’s biggest luxury liners at Liverpool’s world famous docks. The region’s other major ports include Barrow, Workington and Birkenhead.

There is also the Ocean Gateway, a £50 billion investment strategy for the Northwest region, encompassing Manchester and Liverpool; the largest private sector investment in the UK. Beautiful landscape The Northwest has an enviable location in terms of standard of living. It is home to England’s largest National Park; the Lake District and three Areas of Outstanding Natural Beauty; at the Solway Coast in Cumbria, Arnside and Silverdale in Lancashire and the Forest of Bowland in Lancashire. There are two UNESCO World heritage sites, at Liverpool waterfront and Hadrian’s Wall, Cumbria, one heritage coast and 32 nature reserves. In fact, almost a third of the region is designated as National Park or an Area of Outstanding Beauty.

Coupled with its outstanding port facilities, superb landscape and long-standing commitment to renewable energy, these strengths make the Northwest an ideal location for investors, enabling owners, developers and suppliers to move equipment, people and plant to and from the region quickly and easily.

3 international airports

2 hour train journey to central London

7 million people

Supporting investors The NWDA leads the economic development of the Northwest and works with companies in a variety of industries and countries in attracting foreign direct investment. With over 3,000 foreign-owned businesses in the region, we have one of the UK’s strongest track records in assisting large companies and SMEs with their location and expansion decisions.

Our Investment Services team offers a range of free and confidential services designed to assist businesses in making these choices. This includes information on: legal and tax issues; recruitment support; property type, availability and cost; financial assistance; and networking opportunities with potential supply chains and other relevant businesses.

We also offer a range of financial support to help businesses with their investment and expansion projects in the Northwest.

Grants for Business Investment support businesses undertaking major investment projects which increase the region’s productivity skills and employment.

Grants for Research and Development help businesses fund the R&D required to get new products to market.

Support for innovation in carbon reduction technology is also available.

Grants for Improving Your Resource Efficiency provide assistance to businesses undertaking investment projects which reduce CO2 emissions.

Venture Capital and Loan Funding offers a combination of loan, equity and mezzanine finance to support business growth in the region.

Our Investment Services team can provide further information regarding eligibility.

252,000 BUSINESSES 1MILLION GRADUATES £120 BILLION ECONOMY For further information about the investment opportunities in the region, visit englandsnorthwest.com or call our Investment Services team on +44 (0)1925 400 495.

Aerospace at a glance

£6.8 BILLION TOTAL SALES 50,000 EMPLOYEES 75% OF ALL SALES ARE EXPORTS 1ST IN UK FOR MANUFACTURING 1/3 OF UK’S TOTAL OUTPUT 3 OEMs 250 COMPANIES

Tel: +44 (0)1925 400 495 www.englandsnorthwest.com

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