COMPASS points to new opportunities for UK manufacturing 

The University of Sheffield AMRC has secured £50m to establish Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS), a new research facility in Sheffield, which will enable a groundbreaking research programme with Boeing at the centre. The investment was announced in the summer by UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt, as South Yorkshire was named as the first Government Investment Zone.

The AMRC won a £29.5m grant from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) to support new capabilities, technologies and processes to reduce cost, waste, production time and associated carbon emissions. It also worked with regional stakeholders to secure a site and funding for the building, which is being jointly supported by the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority (SYMCA), Sheffield City Council, University of Sheffield and the HVM Catapult.

COMPASS is a major boost to aerospace research and development for the UK, helping solve the composites manufacturing challenges needed to meet future demand for lighter commercial aircraft and help the aviation industry reach net zero.

It will be home to the AMRC’s largest ever collaborative research and development programme which will be undertaken with founder and long-standing member Boeing, in partnership with Spirit AeroSystems and Loop Technology. It aims to de-risk and develop high-rate sustainable structures, with the potential to reduce large component process times from around 40 hours to four hours or less.

Maria Laine, President of Boeing UK, Ireland and Nordic region, said:

Together with our world-leading industry partners, this investment is poised to revolutionise aerospace manufacturing to meet global demand, while supporting vital jobs and growth in the UK.