A SCHEME to support North West firms supplying the aerospace sector is receiving a £7.1m cash injection.
Northwest Development Agency (NWDA) and the Northwest European Regional Development Fund (ERDF) are today announcing a funding package for the North West Aerospace Supply Chain Excellence Programme 2 (ASCE).
The programme, delivered and designed by the North West Aerospace Alliance (NWAA), has secured £3.6m from the NWDA and £3.5m from the ERDF programme.
ASCE2 will build on the work of the ASCE1 programme, which launched in 2006 and was the first co-ordinated approach to supplier development in the aerospace sector in the UK.
It aims to secure a competitive base of world-class small firms in the North-West aerospace sector, by driving forward key priorities including skills provision and innovation.
More than 30 of the most strategically important suppliers in the North-West have joined the ASCE1 programme.
Each company is mentored by a representative from Airbus, BAE Systems, Rolls-Royce or Aircelle. Over 300 jobs have been created or safeguarded and over 2,000 man days of training have been delivered. Martin Wright, chief executive of the NWAA, said: “This is a significant milestone for the NWAA and the regional aerospace supply chain.
“It will be a major part of ensuring the North-West remains the lead region for aerospace in the UK and builds its ability to compete on a global scale.
“It also gives the NWAA an unprecedented position as the leading aerospace cluster organisation in Europe.”
Aerospace has been identified as a key priority for the North- West economy, with two in every five aerospace jobs in the UK located in the region.Š
ASCE2 is expected to help the North-West aerospace supply chain compete in a global industry, which will help in winning valuable contracts with the main manufacturers. Steven Broomhead, chief executive of the NWDA, said: “The Aerospace sector in the North-West has an annual turnover close to £7bn, and forms almost a third of the total UK Aerospace turnover making it the most significant region in the UK.
“The ASCE1 programme is taking our regional supply-chain to the next level, and ASCE2 will take us to the top of the ladder.”
