BUSINESS and Industry Minister Richard Harrington has paid a visit to South Gloucestershire to visit two of the region’s biggest aerospace companies.

Along with West of England regional mayor Tim Bowles, Mr Harrington toured the Airbus landing gear facility in Filton and the GKN Aerospace Western Approach composite wing structures manufacturing and assembly facility on Thursday.

They also took part in a round table discussion with business leaders, including the chairman of the Local Enterprise Partnership, Professor Steve West.

Mr Harrington said: “The UK is a world leader in aerospace and the West of England is central to this as a flourishing hub for innovation, growth and talent.

“As part of our modern industrial strategy, the Government and industry have committed to invest £3.9billion in aerospace research and development to continue the UK’s pioneering legacy for generations to come.”

Mr Bowles, said: “The West of England is home to the UK’s largest aerospace cluster, boasting 14 of the world’s top aerospace companies. However, there is a skills shortage so it’s important that we continue to work with government, with industry and our universities to tackle that, to ensure we continue to lead in this field.

“Today’s visit also provided the opportunity for us explain to the minister how we are leading the way in collaborative research and development, and set out some of our ambitions for the future.”

Katherine Bennett, Airbus public affairs senior vice-president, said: that the West of England is a ‘heartland’ of Britain’s economically important aerospace industry and that they are proud to continue that tradition at their site in Filton.

“The name has long been associated with aviation innovation and today we employ one of the largest numbers of engineers under one roof, focusing on wing technology,” she said.

“Airbus is gearing up for the international showcase which is the Farnborough International Airshow where we will be demonstrating the latest in our portfolio of modern aircraft.”

The GKN Aerospace Western Approach facility is a key part of the company’s global business and is an international Centre of Excellence in composite wing structure design and production.

Russ Dunn, GKN Aerospace senior vice-president engineering and technology, said they too were a proud part of the West of England’s aerospace network, and the wider UK sector, so were delighted to welcome the minister and mayor to GKN’s facility.

He added: “It was great to hear their commitment to work with industry and build on the UK’s existing strength in aerospace.”