The UK has the second largest aerospace industry in the world, with 13% of global market with Scotland being a strong contributor to this success.

Scotland aerospace industry is based around international airports in Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow and Prestwick. The Scottish industry is predominantly focused on the civil aerospace market, with over 160 companies in the sector and its immediate supply chain. These companies employ more than 8,000 people in Scotland with sector sales currently worth around £1.6 billion a year.

Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) activity on both aero-engines and aerostructures accounts for a significant portion of this figure.

The aerospace industry in Scotland has expertise in key areas:

Advanced Aerostructures

Spirit AeroSystems (Europe), specialises in the design and manufacture of leading and trailing edge wing assemblies for aircraft, and is a major wing structure supplier on the new A350XWB programme. In addition the Prestwick facility manufactures aerostructures for Boeing as well as operating a composite materials research and development centre and an MRO facility.

Aero Engines

Rolls-Royce and GE Aviation are two of the world's most prominent aircraft engine manufacturers, both with a long established presence in Scotland. They each have a strong focus on manufacture and maintenance, repair and overhaul and technological development.

Maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO)

Goodrich Corporation’s European Service Centre next to Prestwick airport provides complex maintenance support for aircraft nacelle systems, thrust reversers and engine build up components. There is an extensive range of MRO operators in Scotland including Vector Aerospace, Woodward and Teledyne.

Space

The space sector in Scotland has already demonstrated a record of high growth and performance and is committed to accelerating this in the future. Notable areas of space expertise include:

• CubeSat and nano spacecraft - ClydeSpace is a leading supplier in this field with expertise in miniaturising spacecraft systems - with a 95% export sales base and 100% year on year growth since inception.
• Optical and Infrared Instruments & Sensors - the UK Astronomy Technology Centre is currently undertaking major project work on critical mid infrared instruments which will be deployed on the James Webb Space Telescope.
• SpaceWire - STAR-Dundee specialises in supporting users and developers of SpaceWire, a standard for data communications onboard satellites and spacecraft, with customers including all of the major Space agencies.