Work starts in Derby on world’s largest testbed

How the new building will look

Business Secretary, Greg Clark was in Derby yesterday (22 March) to mark the the start of work on Rolls-Royce’s new testbed facility, which is projected to sustain 7,000 jobs.

The plans for the testbed were announced in June 2017 as part of a wider £150m investment. It will be commissioned in 2020.

The new testbed, the largest in the world, will provide Rolls-Royce with additional capacity as the civil aerospace business looks to ramp-up engine production and deliver on a record order book.

Chris Cholerton, Rolls-Royce, president – civil aerospace, said: “We are proud to welcome the Secretary of State to Derby to celebrate this important milestone with us. It comes at a pivotal moment for our civil aerospace business as we ramp up production to record levels and look forward to completing a hat-trick of new engine launches, with the Trent 7000 set to enter service later this year. This new facility will not only give us the capacity and flexibility to deliver on our growth plans but also sustains employment across the region.”

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “The ground-breaking of this new testbed facility is a reminder of Rolls-Royce’s commitment to Derby and the UK, and signifies the next chapter in Rolls-Royce’s proud history. The highly talented workforce in Derby will spearhead Rolls-Royce’s ambition to increase engine production to record levels and ensure the UK remains at the pinnacle of engineering and aerospace excellence. This revolutionary facility is exactly the type of investment our modern Industrial Strategy will continue to attract.”

Rolls-Royce currently employs around 22,300 people in the UK, across a range of skilled jobs, including more than 600 apprentices, and, through it supply chain, supports more than 40,000 jobs across the East Midlands region.

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