A new £54 million research and development facility designed to transform the manufacture of next-generation aircraft structures has officially opened in South Yorkshire, strengthening the UK's ambitions to remain a global leader in aerospace production.
The Composites at Speed and Scale (COMPASS) facility, operated by the University of Sheffield
Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC), brings together industry, government and academic partners to accelerate the development of large composite aircraft structures.
Boeing is the centre's first user and has established its largest global research programme at the site.
Located at the heart of the South Yorkshire Investment Zone, COMPASS provides open-access industrial research infrastructure that will help manufacturers of all sizes develop and scale production of large composite components. While aerospace is its primary focus, the technologies developed at the centre are also expected to benefit sectors including renewable energy, defence and transport.
The facility arrives at a time when global demand for new aircraft continues to rise sharply. More than 40,000 new aircraft are expected to be required worldwide over the next two decades, creating opportunities for the UK to increase its share of the global aerospace market.
Professor Ben Morgan, chief executive officer of the University of Sheffield AMRC, said: "COMPASS delivers a world-leading capability built on two decades of the AMRC's industrially relevant composites and automation research.
"To secure the UK's position as a leading aerospace manufacturing nation, we must de-risk new technologies at scale. This facility will do exactly that, unlocking jobs, attracting investment and driving economic growth."
A key activity at the site will be Boeing's Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) programme, which aims to dramatically improve production efficiency for large composite aerostructures. The project is targeting a reduction in manufacturing times from around 40 hours to just four hours through the use of advanced composites, automation and digital technologies.
Lane Ballard, Boeing's chief technology officer, said: "Boeing's IHSS programme at COMPASS demonstrates how advanced composites, automation and digital technologies can deliver high-rate, large-scale production that supports high-value manufacturing jobs."
He added that the programme would help turn research initiatives into scalable production capability while strengthening the UK's position as a global aerospace manufacturing leader.
The project forms part of the aerospace sector's drive to produce lighter aircraft structures that improve fuel efficiency and help reduce carbon emissions. It also supports the aviation industry's longer-term ambition of achieving net-zero emissions by 2050.
Loop Technology, a key partner in both the COMPASS facility and the Boeing-led IHSS programme, has supplied its FibreLINE robotic preforming technology, designed to increase the speed and efficiency of composite component production.
Alun Reece, chief executive officer of Loop Technology, commented: "Today marks a significant milestone, bringing us one major step closer to our goal of manufacturing composite aerostructures at greater speed and scale."
The centre houses equipment funded through a £29.5 million grant from the Aerospace Technology Institute (ATI) Programme, while a further £20 million has come from the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, Sheffield City Council, the University of Sheffield and the High Value Manufacturing Catapult.
Gary Elliott, chief executive officer of the ATI, described COMPASS as a "world-leading open-access facility for UK innovation in composites technology", adding that it would support ambitions to double UK aerospace market value by 2035.
Beyond aerospace, the facility is expected to help UK manufacturers adopt more sustainable and efficient production methods. By proving technologies at technology readiness level six, COMPASS will help remove barriers to adoption, particularly for small and medium-sized enterprises that would otherwise struggle to access advanced manufacturing equipment.
The University of Sheffield and its partners believe the investment will further establish South Yorkshire as a leading destination for advanced manufacturing innovation, creating new opportunities for growth, jobs and inward investment across the UK supply chain.