Key facts

34

companies in Scotland have been identified as having aerospace R&D capability


54

university departments in Scotland with aerospace R&D capabilities


10%

Complete avionic systems represent about 10 percent of civil aircraft material costs


50

Almost 50 companies are presently active in the composite materials supply chain in Scotland, across a variety of sectors


25%

Defence accounts for 25 per cent of the aerospace, defence and marine sector in Scotland


Largest in the UK

Scotland plays host to the largest defence electronics manufacturing site in the UK


Critical systems and sections

Scottish companies contribute critical systems and sections to key defence projects such as the Typhoon Eurofighter, Type 45 Destroyer and Queen Elizabeth Class Aircraft Carrier, Astute Class submarines and the Airbus A330-MMRT


£1.8 billion

Scotland's annual defence turnover


12,600

Scotland is home to nearly 12,600 defence employees


R&D

The aerospace and defence sector is second only to pharmaceuticals in the percent of sales it invests in R&D


Invention

Scotland’s aerospace achievements include the fuel system that led to the jet age and the new radar for the Eurofighter Typhoon


11%

MRO accounts for 11 percent of all airline industry costs


MRO support

All of Scotland’s major international airports have the capacity to accommodate MRO


Star gazing

NASA occasionally use a ground observatory in Dundee to track spacecraft during their missions


World leaders

Scotland has world-leading expertise in space battery technology, miniaturisation of spacecraft systems and space borne instruments


Space-Wire leaders

Scotland has a long association with the data communications language Space-Wire, with the International Space Wire standard being developed in Scotland


Mission possible

Scotland is recognised as a world leader in the CubeSat platform, delivering lower weight, lower cost satellite systems which can be mission ready in a fraction of the time of conventional satellites


Space world-wide

Scottish companies and research groups are significant contributors to major word-wide space projects


UK economy generation

The wider UK space sector supports 68,000 jobs and generates around £6 billion a year to the British economy


40,000

Almost 40,000 staff are directly employed by the aerospace industry in Scotland


5%

The technical textiles market is growing at five percent per annum and is showing significant progress


Major investment

The UK National Aerospace Technology Strategy supports major investment in unmanned aerial vehicles


840+

More than 840 companies are involved in the aerospace defence and marine sector


£5 billion

Sales of over £5 billion are generated by Scottish-based companies in this sector


Global players

Vector and Teledyne, Rolls-Royce, BAE Systems, Thales, SELEX Galileo, Babcock Marine and Raytheon Systems all have a significant Scottish presence