Aerospace Integration Research Centre officially opened at Cranfield

Aerospace Integration Research Centre officially opened at Cranfield

The £35m Aerospace Integration Research Centre (AIRC) has been officially opened at Cranfield University.
AIRC
Cranfield AIRC centre
The new facility has been co-funded by Airbus, Rolls-Royce and Cranfield University, plus the Higher Education Funding Council for England (HEFCE).
According to Cranfield, the Centre will conduct research into ways of integrating advanced technologies to reduce the time from academic innovation to industrial application.
To enable this, the AIRC has been equipped with aerospace research technology including air traffic management (ATM) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) laboratories; flight simulators; a virtual wind tunnel; a FANUC robot in the intelligent automation centre; and a 1500 sq m open space work area, currently housing a full-size wing from an Airbus plane.
Trevor Higgs, head of landing gear and UK senior site representative, Airbus, said: “We at Airbus see the AIRC as a key part of the growing research ecosystem the aerospace industry has in the UK, and will help us foster closer relationships with research partners and to accelerate and deliver on our research strategy for the Wing of Tomorrow, to make sure our products remain the best in world.”
Henner Wapenhans, director of technology strategy, Rolls-Royce, added: “This new Centre will help develop the next generation of highly skilled engineers and will play an important role in developing the innovative technologies needed to enhance performance, improve efficiency and reduce emissions of future aircraft.”

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