Edinburgh needs a strategy for growth and the aerospace sector could be that choice
The Ambition: Edinburgh Aero 2030
There’s enough financial and consulting services in Edinburgh. If you’re looking for growth, then go into some specialist manufacturing area, take aerospace for example.
Edinburgh has a few key advantages that could attract the worldwide aerospace industry -
For a start, all those universities turning out highly skilled workers in engineering, robotics, AI, data scienc - fields critical to aerospace innovation.
It’s already a Research and Innovation Hub. I believe that, for example, the Bayes Centre is home to cutting-edge research in space technology, and Scotland has a growing space industry.
Edinburgh is also focused on sustainability and so what about concentrating on niche expertise in green energy and eco-friendly technologies within the aerospace industry?
If you think these factors make Edinburgh an attractive location for R&D, design and manufacturing in aerospace, then who, what companies, could the Edinburgh council approach to leverage Edinburgh’s skilled workforce, research hubs, and strategic location? And what kind of plan and costings would you be looking at?
There’s the usual - Airbus (two existing facilities in Wales, has collaborations in Scotland for space technologies and could expand into Edinburgh’s growing tech and aerospace sectors and would welcome any cooperative initiatives from the Edinburgh regional government.), Boeing, RR (Inchinnan, near Glasgow), Lockheed Martin, BAE (already works with Scottish institutions). These individual companies at the top of the supply chain need to be brought together in a new co ordinated private sector initiative focused on the aerospace industry.
Costed Plan
So here’s a costed plan to get Edinburgh away from overdependence on the financial and consulting services sectors and tourism (eg airbnb) industries and diversify into the export of manufactured goods for the aerospace sector, an industry of the future.
To develop Edinburgh as a high-tech manufacturing hub involves a few key steps: here they are, each with cost estimates.
1. Initial Investment in Infrastructure
Digital and Transport Infrastructure:
Project Edinburgh Smart City
£50 million for upgrading internet bandwidth, logistics, and transport networks to support aero manufacturing.
Advanced Manufacturing Facilities: £100 million to build state-of-the-art, sustainable production sites.
2. Incentives and Grants
Project Kickstart Edinburgh Aerospace 2030
Government Grants and Subsidies: £30 million over 5 years to attract and encourage high-tech manufacturers into research and development in the aerospace supply chain. Start at the top with the likes of Airbus, RR, BAE... And work down integrating new R&D, design and manufacturing technologies into the supply chain with companies like Senior SNR.
3. Skills and Education
Project Upskill Workforce for Growth
Training Programs: £10 million to partner with local uni.s and vocational schools to develop a highly skilled workforce in areas like robotics, AI, and automation.
4. High-Tech Industries
Project Flightpath Edinburgh
Marketing Campaign: £5 million for an international marketing strategy to position Edinburgh as a tech manufacturing hub and attract the best that worldwide aerospace has to offer.
5. Innovation and Research
Project Aero IP
Collaboration with Universities: £20 million for creating research centres focused on manufacturing innovation and design, especially in aerospace, but try bio-technology and renewable energy too with Aberdeen
So there we go,
for £215 million over a 5-10 year period you’ve put Edinburgh back on the map and we don’t mean as a holiday resort.
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