£80m investment aims to decarbonise air transport

Industry, academia and Government leaders have broken ground for a University of Sheffield AMRC innovation facility and research project led by aerospace giant Boeing.

The Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) research facility will house the Boeing-led Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project dedicated to developing and testing new technologies to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry’s commitment reach Net Zero by 2050.

The combined £80m COMPASS facility and IHSS project, revealed earlier this year in partnership with Loop Technology and Spirit AeroSystems, is jointly-funded by industry, key stakeholders and the Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme; a partnership between Department for Business and Trade, ATI and Innovate UK.

It will initially create around 50 jobs in South Yorkshire and – based on forecasted aircraft demand – has potential to create up to 3,000 UK jobs long-term, and around £2bn annually in export opportunities.

Steve Foxley, chief executive officer of the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), said: “Today is a very important moment for the AMRC, our partners, funders and the region as we mark the first steps to build our Composites at Speed and Scale facility and deliver on a vision to put South Yorkshire at the forefront of UK aerospace and composites manufacturing research and development.

“COMPASS shows collaboration really is the cornerstone of innovation, bringing together the strengths of industry, academia and government to develop production technologies that currently do not exist and turn them into future capabilities that can enable lighter aircraft and more sustainable flight.

“The facility, and the research that will take place there, provides an exciting opportunity to unlock the economic potential of South Yorkshire.”

Maria Laine, president of Boeing in the UK, Ireland and Nordic region, said: “Boeing is firmly committed to investing in innovations that help meet future demand for commercial air travel, while also supporting decarbonisation efforts.

“By harnessing the collective strengths of our local partners alongside the expertise and quality found in the UK’s advanced manufacturing sector, this project will turn ideas into real-world innovations, benefiting the region and also the global aerospace industry.”

The £80m investment includes a £29.5m grant from the Government’s Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme for the latest, state-of-the-art equipment for the broader benefit of aerospace and other industries.

It also includes £20m for the building backed by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), Sheffield City Council, University of Sheffield and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.

COMPASS builds on the AMRC’s composites and automation capabilities to de-risk the development and manufacture of high-rate, large-scale composite parts, providing the wider UK industry with an open-access facility to develop, demonstrate and validate new composite manufacturing technologies and capabilities.

The IHSS project will centre around automated dry fibre and resin infusion advanced manufacturing methods, which enable high manufacturing rates and increase production efficiency.

The tender for construction work for the building has been awarded to Henry Boot Construction. The facility is expected to be complete by the end of 2024.