Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace launch university technology partnership

Citation

(1999), "Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace launch university technology partnership", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 71 No. 1. https://doi.org/10.1108/aeat.1999.12771aaf.006

Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace launch university technology partnership

Rolls-Royce and British Aerospace launch university technology partnership

Keywords British Aerospace, Research, Rolls-Royce

Two of Britain's major aerospace companies have joined with three leading universities in a joint programme of research into future engineering design processes for the twenty-first century.

British Aerospace and Rolls-Royce are jointly investing £1.5 million in setting up a unique five year University Technology Partnership (UTP) agreement with the Universities of Cambridge, Sheffield and Southampton. The two companies work closely in many aerospace programmes and recognise the need to maintain a leading position in their respective global markets.

The research will seek to identify ways in which complex engineering design processes in both companies can evolve to meet increasingly demanding customer requirements by producing better and more cost-effective products to tight timescales. The companies' wealth of engineering and design expertise and experience will be integrated with the advanced research skills and resources in the three universities.

The UTP research programme will aim to:

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  Maximise the benefits of creativity and innovation in the design process.

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  Facilitate the effective capture and development of design concepts.

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  Optimise complex design processes, involving improved human-based decision making and complete design automation.

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  Capture, visualise and apply design knowledge.

Research into creativity and innovation in the design process will investigate ways of giving more freedom to designers. This could be achieved by removing unnecessary constraints imposed by formal processes and working practices while improving time, quality and costs.

The research will study ways of maximising human creativity and innovation while automating routine and repetitive tasks. Human-based decision making will focus on the complex design trade-offs inherent to modern aerospace systems. These decisions will be supported by new approaches to automated technical assessments and improved access to knowledge gained from previous designs. This approach ­ particularly important at the early stages of the product life cycle ­ will serve to improve quality, reduce design cycle times and allow engineers more time to apply their creative talents.

Dr Geraldine Kenney-Wallace, managing director and vice chancellor of the British Aerospace Virtual University, said: "This partnership is an exciting and innovating opportunity to pool the knowledge and experience of two leading UK aerospace companies with the research expertise and resources of three universities. We in industry face huge and increasing competition, and it is essential that we are properly equipped to maintain the UK's leading position in a worldwide market and bring to that market the best and most cost-effective products."

RR's director of engineering and technology, Phil Ruffles, added: "We have experienced the tremendous benefits from working with university technology centres (UTCs) over several years. Now, with British Aerospace, we are extending these arrangements in line with the recommendations made by the government-led Technology Foresight programme.

"The new UTP will employ some of the UK's top academics, and will show the way forward in engineering design processes and technologies. This will ensure that our product design is superior and that we meet customer needs in terms of quality, cost, service and time-to-market."

Each university will co-ordinate a key high-priority research subject. Together the three universities will work in a multi-disciplinary way to maximise the strengths that exist throughout the University Technology Partnership, making best use of shared data and information through multi-media methods. It is anticipated that the UTP will develop its capabilities and attract further funding and support by extending its remit through networking beyond the core partners.