The UK's aerospace industry is outperforming the rest of the engineering and manufacturing sector, according to figures released by the Society of British Aerospace Companies (SBAC). The figures show a growth in aerospace output of 41 per cent in 2000, compared with a fall of four per cent for manufacturing as a whole. New orders for aerospace companies also increased by 26 per cent, compared with a fall of seven per cent for engineering in general.
"The figures confirm that UK aerospace is continuing to play a leading role in manufacturing," says SBAC director general David Marshall. "Important for the long-term future of the industry is that order intake increased by over ten per cent, bringing potential business worth over £18billion."
SBAC is calling for a reversal in a decline in public funding for research and technology. States Ken Maciver, SBAC president and executive vice president of TRW Aeronautical Systems: "It is imperative that the UK aerospace industry continually replenishes its technology base. The long-term decline in UK government support for technology acquisition is a critical concern for the industry. This is even more important as UK aerospace companies become increasingly global. They will invest where the R&D environment is most attractive: foreign firms looking to increase their overseas investments will make similar judgements."
