The Scottish government is investing almost £5 million in a new Aerospace Innovation Centre (IAC) at Spirit AeroSystems’ manufacturing site in Prestwick.

During a visit to the company at the end of last month, First Minister Nicola Sturgeon said that the IAC will focus
on developing the next generation of aircraft — and helping to develop the technology for composite materials and automated assembly.

Ms Sturgeon said: “Just before last year’s Programme for Government, I visited Spirit AeroSystems to set out our ambition for Scotland to develop, design and manufacture the technologies and products of the future, backed by an extra £45 million for business research and development over the next three years.

"R&D drives innovation and economic growth, so it’s great to be back here to see that additional support helping not just Spirit but also companies across Scotland develop new products.

"This announcement underlines the importance of Prestwick as an aviation hub and as a key piece of Scotland’s industrial infrastructure, supporting jobs, investment and opportunity.”

Spirit AeroSystems (www.spiritaero.com) vice-president Scott McLarty said: “The new Aerospace Innovation Centre will allow us to scale up our technology demonstrators and enable growth in advanced composite technologies and automated assembly.

“The centre will operate on an open-access basis, creating an environment that fosters supply-chain and academic collaborations.

“This will strengthen the ability of Spirit and our partners to secure work on the next generation of aircraft.”