Difficult decisions face aerospace industry

Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology

ISSN: 0002-2667

Article publication date: 1 August 2002

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Keywords

Citation

(2002), "Difficult decisions face aerospace industry", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 74 No. 4. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.2002.12774daf.004

Publisher

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Emerald Group Publishing Limited

Copyright © 2002, MCB UP Limited


Difficult decisions face aerospace industry

Keywords: Aerospace industry, UK, Research, Funding

Difficult decisions have to be made by the Government about the future of the UK's aerospace industry, a University of York academic has warned.

Professor Keith Hartley says that although the industry has become far more competitive than in the past, there is no guarantee that it will remain that way. He said: "Concerns have been expressed about the level of state support for both civil and military research and development, and it is research and development programmes which provide the next generation of projects for export." Professor Hartley, of the Department of Economics, has been commissioned by the Department of Trade and Industry to make a four-month study of aerospace competitiveness. He says that between 1980 and 2000, using the USA as a benchmark, the UK aerospace industry improved its competitiveness in productivity, scale of output, development times, employment adjustment, exports and profitability.

But he predicts that it is unlikely that there will be any future independent UK aircraft, helicopter and missile programmes. "Future aerospace projects will be collaborative. Airbus is a model of successful collaboration." He added: "Governments remain important to the future of the UK aerospace industry. They are major buyers of defence equipment, including the funding of defence research and development, and they provide support for civil aircraft research and development (e.g. Airbus A380). They need to make difficult choices about the value to the UK of its aerospace industry and their continued willingness to provide state support for the industry."

Details available from: Professor K. Hartley, Tel: +44 (0) 1940 433680

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