The US aerospace company, Boeing has had plans approved by Sheffield Council to build a manufacturing facility. The proposed facility will be located in Tinsley’s Sheffield Business Park. It is thought that the creation of this new Boeing manufacturing site will create 30 jobs and will see the production of actuation systems for commercial aeroplanes carried out in Sheffield.
Boeing Sheffield will more specifically see the manufacture of the actuation systems that will be installed into the Next-Generation 737, 737 MAX and 777 models of aeroplanes. The systems produced in Sheffield will be installed in the aircraft from next year. The new manufacturing site will also be built alongside the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre that the University of Sheffield is building with the support of the US aerospace company.
The partnership that has been created between Sheffield University and Boeing is mutually beneficial, as the University receives the support and expertise of the industry partner, while Boeing will have a great deal of recruitment carried out by the University, with a constant supply of alumni.
It is thought that the creation of these two new manufacturing facilities could offer the opportunity to improve the engineering talent currently found in the UK. It would be a vital opportunity that would be beneficial post Brexit to improve the numbers of people choosing engineering and similar skillsets as careers as well as making the most of homegrown talent.
Sheffield is historically more well known for fabrication based industries, as opposed to manufacturing. Therefore the creation of the new manufacturing facilities to be based at Tinsleys Sheffield Business Park is an opportunity to forge a new engineering centre, close enough to the Midlands to benefit from the knowledge and expertise that have been developed in that region.
The investment made by the major US aerospace company is a reflection of how attractive the UK is as a place for investment, which could lead to more reassurance for the manufacturing industry going in to Brexit.
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