Bristol’s role as a centre of excellence for advanced engineering has been boosted by a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) signed between the University of Bristol and aero-engineering group GKN Aerospace.
The agreement will support the Faculty of Engineering’s research and engineering students through new types of student internship, by mentoring engineering students at GKN Aerospace’s wing manufacturing operations in Bristol and by engaging with the group’s international operation.
University of Bristol engineers have already been taken on by GKN Aerospace in China through an international internship programme launched earlier this year by the Faculty of Engineering.
The MOU builds on the university’s proud heritage in engineering – from establishing the equation for the wing design on the Spitfire in the 1930s to inventing the technology that led to the first mobile phone in the late 1970s.
Today, the Faculty of Engineering’s world-leading research continues with the development of wallpaper that will protect buildings from earthquake damage, to developing power efficient technologies that will reduce carbon emissions from mobile phone base stations, reducing the environmental impact of communications systems.
Dean of Engineering Professor Nishan Canagarajah, said: “This collaboration has already resulted in several positive results for our staff and students. The MOU reflects our belief that this relationship continues to get stronger and will deliver some very exciting new projects across teaching and research.”
A university spokesman added: “Engineering at the University of Bristol is committed to producing leaders and entrepreneurs of the future and to advancing the knowledge and technological innovations required to address global challenges.
“Our academics are internationally recognised research leaders who have led the way in some of the most ground-breaking developments.
“Bristol is proud of its interdisciplinary culture where our academics have established lasting global partnerships with other leading universities and industry. We apply our research through successful technology and knowledge transfer, and our work is always engaged with industry, allowing us to add value to the national and global economy.
GKN Aerospace vice president, engineering, Dr Andrew Clarke said the MOU was a clear expression of its long-term commitment to strong and effective research links with academia and “to supporting the training and development and of a future generation of engineers that will be vital to the manufacturing sector in Bristol and the UK”.
Since buying Airbus’s wing manufacturing activities at Filton in 2007, GKN has invested £17m in the plant, which employs 1,500 people and makes mainly traditional metallic wing parts for Airbus and seven other planemakers including BAE Systems and Dassault of France.
GKN has also opened a plant at Severnside making pioneering composite wing parts for Airbus aircraft. It has invested £107m in two buildings on the site – both of which contain world-beating composite wing part manufacturing and handling equipment. The plant will employ around 450 people when fully operational in 2015.
