BAE Systems and University of Nottingham partner over innovative digital manufacturing technologies

BAE Systems and University of Nottingham partner over innovative digital manufacturing technologies

(PRESS RELEASE) FARNBOROUGH, 21-Oct-2021 — /EuropaWire/ — BAE Systems (LON: BA), a British multinational defence, security, and aerospace company, has announced it will partner with the University of Nottingham, a top 20 UK university and 8th in the UK for research power, for the development of new and innovative digital manufacturing technologies.

A recognised leader in Industry 4.0 technologies, the University has extensive capabilities including additive layer manufacturing, lightweight materials, metrology and digital approaches to design and manufacture, as well as sustainable energy and power management systems.

Professor Andy Schofield, Programme & Technology Integration Director, within BAE Systems’ Air Sector, said:

“We’ve had a strong partnership with the University of Nottingham for a number of years, with our teams working closely together to jointly develop next generation manufacturing capabilities that will transform the future of aircraft production.

“We look forward to deepening our relationship and exploring how the University’s world-class Industry 4.0 knowledge and research capabilities can be applied to other areas of our business.”

Professor Svetan Ratchev, Cripps Professor of Production Engineering and Director of the Institute for Advanced Manufacturing at the University of Nottingham, said:

“Formalising our strategic partnership will allow us to translate the latest research results into industrial applications, develop new technologies and deliver major societal, environmental and economic impact. It will also provide our students with more exciting opportunities to gain valuable industrial experience, enhance their knowledge and develop their future careers.”

Confirmation of the formal partnership follows a sustained period of successful collaboration in key technological areas such as ‘cobotics’, which enables people and robots to work in co-operation on complex tasks. This was born from the Integrated Autonomous Assembly Demonstrator, which prototyped robotic assembly of aircraft structures and used data from digital designs to optimise manufacturing processes. The University of Nottingham led this work with input from the Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre.

Nottingham and the Company’s other strategic university partners are also active in research into sustainability, particularly in energy management. This is of great importance to BAE Systems, with the business setting a target to achieve net zero greenhouse gas emissions operations across its operations by 2030 and will also support the development of sustainable technologies for its customers.

BAE Systems continues to develop its UK university partnerships, with Nottingham becoming the Company’s sixth strategic university partner. This builds on existing partnerships with Cranfield University, the University of Birmingham, the University of Manchester, the University of Southampton and the University of Strathclyde.

Media contact:

Richard Brown
Head of Technology Communications
Head Office
BAE Systems plc
+44 (0) 7710 077 168
+44 (0) 3300 463 914

SOURCE: BAE Systems