Farnborough - UK’s best showcase for advanced manufacturing

The Manufacturer - Despite the economic downturn, this year’s Farnborough International Airshow has seen a sell out of exhibition space and promises to be yet again a showcase for the UK’s leading advanced manufacturing sectors of aerospace, defence, space and security – with the Airbus A400M and Boeing 787 Dreamliner both taking centre place. Together these four sectors employ over half a million people in 9,000 companies, contributing £60bn (~$90bn) a year to the British economy.

For the first time in the history of the show, all the UK aerospace regional bodies will be located in Hall 1. This demonstrates the strength of the supply chain in the UK and the diversity of the UK’s SME community which is the foundation of the UK’s position as number one in Europe and only second to the USA in aerospace and defence. Every single large aerospace or defence equipment contract is underpinned by the hard work of hundreds of SMEs.