AEROSPACE companies in Britain want university researchers to help them to develop world-beating technologies for building aeroplanes. The companies, in collaboration with three research councils, have drafted a 10-year plan of research for upgrading the way that aircraft are assembled, and have invited academics to become equal partners in the venture.
The Engineering and Physical Sciences Research Council, which is managing the project through its Innovative Manufacturing Initiative, hopes to raise at least £20 million a year for it, half from the research councils and half from industry.
Provisional objectives include halving the time it takes to build aircraft, reducing manufacturing costs by 30 per cent, and reducing the weight of aircraft by 20 per cent.
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