Rolls-Royce has awarded a £100 million (US$134 million) contract for a new building at its Bristol, UK site that will host research, test and make aeroengines for the defence sector.
The company has selected UK firm McLaughlin & Harvey to build the new facility which it said will create capability for new product development for the future of air combat. Work at the Bristol site is scheduled to begin before the end of this year.
Rolls-Royce described the facility as pivotal in the re-development of its Bristol site, and said that it will enable the company to innovate in future combat air technology advancements.
Paul Pennington, senior vice president of infrastructure, defence at Rolls-Royce said, “This complex facility is a physical manifestation of our commitment to novel technology and agile ways of working.
“By embedding our previous learnings, we are creating a space for technology development to ensure we meet our ambitious customer commitments while future-proofing our capabilities for decades to come.”
Built as a connected and digital-first facility, it will accelerate the pace and drive efficiencies across research, test and manufacturing, said the company.
McLaughlin & Harvey have worked with Rolls-Royce twice before, designing and building the Aero Disc Manufacturing Facility in Washington, UK. The company was also involved in construction and civil engineering works for the Primary Component Operations building at the Rolls-Royce nuclear site in Sinfin, Derby.
Dougie McCusker, construction director at McLaughlin & Harvey said, “Our team will draw on this past experience and broader expertise in complex manufacturing environments to support the client in building this manufacturing and assembly facility in Bristol.”
