Industrial Strategy: £24m funding to ‘unlock breakthroughs’ in aircraft engine tech

The Government has announced eight-figure funding for four R&D projects developing next-generation aircraft engines.

Forming part of the Industrial Strategy, the £24m investment will support aerospace projects that bring together businesses and academia as they work to deliver new world-leading technologies.

The projects, jointly funded with Rolls-Royce, include research into X-Ray imaging technology that will enable faster, cleaner aircraft engines.

Business Secretary Greg Clark MP, Secretary of State for Business, Energy and Industrial Strategy, confirmed the government investment at the ground-breaking of Rolls-Royce’s new engine test centre in Derby.

The scheme follows a commitment from the manufacturing giant to invest £150m in its UK facilities to double engine production.

The projects are worth a combined £58.3m and work towards designing an engine that offers 25% fuel efficiency, saving money for operators while reducing emissions.

All four are supported by the Aerospace Technology Institute alongside Rolls-Royce, academic partners and innovation agency Innovate UK.

Business Secretary Greg Clark said: “Our modern Industrial Strategy is backed by the biggest increase in R&D investment this country has ever seen, committing government, along with industry, to spend £3.9bn to build on our reputation for aerospace excellence.

“The joint government-industry funding brings together the best minds from Rolls-Royce, SMEs and academia to unlock breakthroughs in technology that are fundamental to the aerospace sector.”

He continued: “As the home of the first turbojet engine, the UK has a long proud heritage in aerospace and these pioneering Rolls-Royce projects will ensure it is the UK that leads the world in developing the next generation of cleaner jet engine technologies.”

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