What it will take to modernise UK aerospace manufacturing
By Andrew Bruton, Civil Aerospace Manager and Jonathan Butt, Chief Engineer for Digital
UK aerospace has a long track record of resilience and technical leadership. It’s export-driven, regionally rooted, and delivers some of the UK’s highest-value jobs. It’s adapted through global shocks, led complex programmes, and retained a strong industrial base.
Now, the next shift is already underway. New platforms are being scoped. Materials are changing. Customers expect more flexibility, tighter tolerances and greater digital traceability. And manufacturers across the globe are investing in more connected, more capable production systems.
This is a moment of risk — and opportunity. If the UK moves fast, it can lead again. But only if we adopt the tools, processes and systems that define the next generation of manufacturing.
Four areas that must progress together
When people talk about “Factory of the Future”, they often picture robots and smart machines. These are part of the picture, but the real shift is broader — and more operational.
It comes down to progress across four areas:
- Production: Smarter shopfloors using automation, sensors and real-time data to reduce rework, improve consistency and boost output.
- Operations: Connected design, engineering, planning and quality systems to support faster change and better decisions.
- Supply chains: Shared visibility of parts, status and risks, from OEM to SME — underpinned by digital traceability.
- Technology providers: The firms supplying software, automation and systems integration. They hold critical expertise but must work closely with aerospace teams to align with sector demands.
These elements are interdependent. Weakness in one holds the others back.
Two supply chains, one goal
To build next-generation manufacturing systems, aerospace companies rely not just on their own supply chains, but also the technology supply chain — the providers of platforms, software, automation and digital infrastructure.
When these two systems align, progress is faster and more robust. When they don’t, delays and mismatches creep in.
We need to stop treating technology providers as external suppliers — and start working with them as strategic partners.
One sector, many starting points
UK aerospace is not a single production model. It spans high-rate lines, low-volume specialist builds, one-off development, and long-life programmes.
Two firms doing similar work may face very different challenges, depending on plant layout, systems, or local skills.
That diversity is a strength — but it means there’s no off-the-shelf solution. Progress depends on tailoring the approach to real factory conditions, not assuming one-size-fits-all.
The technology is here. The challenge is integration.
The tools exist — and many are already in use. But integration remains the sticking point.
Bringing digital systems into production settings is not just about the install. It’s about making sure those systems stay useful — adapting with business needs, onboarding new users, and handling updates without disruption.
In manufacturing, reconfiguring a line for a new contract is routine. Digital systems should work the same way — but too often, they don’t.
For many firms, this is a mindset shift. Digital transformation isn’t a one-off project. It’s about owning and evolving your digital estate with the same confidence you apply to physical infrastructure.
That shift in thinking — and capability — is just as important as the tech itself.
Four recurring challenges stand out:
- A lack of industrial demonstrators that show what success looks like in aerospace conditions.
- A shortage of hybrid skills that blend hands-on engineering with digital fluency
- Weak alignment between technology providers and factory needs - especially around usability and long-term support
- Fragmented support, especially for SMEs, with too many schemes and no clear route from idea to implementation
Even when systems are in place, firms struggle with onboarding, updates and troubleshooting. Without simplicity, they stall.
These are solvable problems. Solving them unlocks capability, productivity, and future resilience.
Why it matters
This is not just about productivity. It’s about securing UK workshare on future platforms, improving resilience to disruption, and delivering on sustainability — through reduced waste, better process control and more efficient use of materials and energy.
It’s also about anchoring high-value industrial jobs in UK regions — and avoiding erosion of capability.
The choices we make now will shape what’s possible through the 2030s and beyond.
What’s needed to move faster
Recent work across Aerospace Growth Partnership (AGP), regional alliances and industry has identified five practical enablers:
- Integrated, multi-vendor demonstrators that reflect real aerospace complexity.
- Joined-up support that takes companies from diagnosis to delivery.
- Shared platforms to improve visibility, traceability and risk management across supply chains.
- Skills development focused on digital-physical integration — from technicians to systems engineers.
- Practical exemplars that show what good looks like, with real data and measurable outcomes.
These are not new ideas. In some places, they already exist. The opportunity now is to link them, scale what works, and fill the gaps that remain.
The role of independent engineering centres
This is where organisations like NCC come in.
We sit at the intersection of production, digital systems and industrial strategy. Our role is to make advanced manufacturing real, usable and scalable.
That includes:
- Hosting neutral, industrial-scale demonstrators.
- Supporting companies with diagnostics, roadmaps and integration.
- Helping shape the next generation skills pipeline.
- Creating space for manufacturers, suppliers and technology providers to solve shared problems together.
It’s not about complexity. It’s about making change more practical — and more achievable.
Let’s build what’s next
If you’re working in UK aerospace — as a manufacturer, supplier, technology provider or policymaker - this is the time to align and act.
The systems that will define the next decade are already here.
The challenge is to make them work — for real factories, real programmes, and a supply base that stretches across the UK.
NCC is here to support that journey — with hands-on engineering, shared demonstrators, and a clear commitment to making integration easier.
Talk to us if you’re ready to move. We’re building what’s next.