Strengths

Skills and expertise

  • A skilled, proud and strong workforce with a long history of aerospace manufacturing excellence
  • Training schemes are actively advocated to ensure industry standards are constantly met
  • 500 apprentices are currently in training
  • Scotland’s excellence in design engineering is famous worldwide
  • High levels of specialist expertise
  • A dedicated aerospace department at Glasgow University, which has been teaching aeronautics and fluid mechanics since 1921
  • A large number of highly skilled graduates with relevant engineering or technical training emerge from Scotland’s universities every year
  • High standards of research and development take place

High-quality support infrastructure

  • Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service offers expert advice, support and training to manufacturing businesses of all sizes throughout Scotland
  • Scotland’s four key airports include:
    • Glasgow – Scotland’s largest airport
    • Edinburgh – one of the UK’s fastest growing airports
    • Prestwick Airport – an MRO (maintenance, repair and overhaul) centre of excellence
    • Aberdeen – the world’s busiest heliport
  • Strong links into key UK sector development activities in process excellence and supply chain development
  • High quality and variety of business locations, including:
    • Prestwick Aerospace Business Park
    • Inverness Aerospace Business Park
    • Numerous science parks, business parks and academic institutes

Collaboration

  • Collaborative working and shared best practise schemes are in operation, through various industry bodies. The Scottish Manufacturing Advisory Service (SMAS) can also provide support
  • Excellent track record in public and private partnership – for example, LoganAir uses Tayside Aviation’s facilities and flight simulators in their pilot selection processes
  • Commercialisation of research is encouraged through programmes such as the Proof of Concept Fund
  • Intellectual property and technology transfer advice takes place across Scotland’s numerous science and business parks

Geographical positioning

  • Scotland is an ideal access point to the rest of Europe and has excellent transport links
  • Scotland spans several time zones:
    • Morning – Far East and Asia
    • Afternoon – USA
    • All day – Europe and Africa