Government package to support advanced manufacturing

The Government is making £151.5million available as part of the Government's targeted strategies for key sectors and markets. It will expand access to information, encourage take up of new technologies and address specific challenges faced by the aerospace sector. Business Secretary Peter Mandelson said: "At the heart of Britain's knowledge economy is our manufacturing base. High value, highly skilled and internationally successful businesses that have worked hard to secure a lead in high tech global supply chains. "This practical package of measures will help equip British manufacturers, of all sizes and sectors, to take advantage of the advanced technologies and new market opportunities now shaping our low carbon industrial future. "It's about giving them the support they need to create jobs in Britain and export the best of British manufacturing design, technology, skills and innovation around the world". These investments in plastic electronics, the nuclear supply chain, aerospace, and silicon design are another important step towards the Government's vision for our economic future – as set out in New Industry New Jobs. Key new measures include: * £45m funding to Rolls-Royce to build four advanced manufacturing facilities built in the UK – three for aerospace and one for civil nuclear. This is expected to create and sustain around 800 jobs. The advanced manufacturing plants will produce wide chord fan blades for the Joint Strike Fighter aircraft, disks in advanced alloys for fans and turbines of aero-engines, single crystal blade castings for high temperature aero-engine turbines, and components for civil nuclear; * £45m from the low carbon element of the Strategic Investment Fund to support research and technology critical to the development of low carbon aircraft engine technology. This will be led by Rolls-Royce; * At least £40m investment in SAMULET Research and Technology programme, a collaborative aerospace project focusing on productivity and environmental improvements; * The Technology Strategy Board will invest a further £5m in collaborative R&D projects as part of its High Value Manufacturing competition. This will be in addition to the £24m invested earlier this year; * A £4m expansion of the Manufacturing Advisory Service.