Prime Minister opens new Rolls-Royce technology exhibition centre
Monday, 7 March 2011Prime Minister David Cameron today opened the Rolls-Royce Technology Exhibition Centre, at the Group’s principal UK facility in Derby.
The exhibition, which the Prime Minister toured, accompanied by Sir John Rose, Chief Executive, showcases Rolls-Royce’s world leading technology and innovation. It explains how extensive investment in research has enabled the development of some of the world’s most advanced power systems.
These range from the highly efficient Trent XWB – which is being developed for the new Airbus A350 XWB, to the MT30 – the world’s most powerful marine gas turbine that drives the US Navy’s Littoral Combat Ships. The exhibition will be included in the hundreds of visits Rolls-Royce hosts each year, for customers, politicians, and other relevant audiences.
The visit included a tour of the production assembly line and an opportunity to meet a number of staff, including apprentices. Mr Cameron also saw Trent 1000 engines being assembled and prepared for dispatch to be used on the Boeing 787 Dreamliner.
The Prime Minister said: “As a world leader in the development of advanced technologies, Rolls-Royce is a company of which the whole country can be proud. High tech manufacturers not only drive technological advances, they also create wealth for the UK.
“I believe businesses like Rolls-Royce will play a crucial role in the UK’s economic recovery, by supporting and creating jobs and delivering growth.”
Sir John Rose, Chief Executive, said: “It was a great pleasure to welcome the Prime Minister as the first visitor to our new technology exhibition. Rolls-Royce has grown by combining customer focus, technology and teamwork to deliver world leading products and services. We invest for the long term, in research, new facilities and products as well as in training our people. Rolls-Royce is a technology company, and this exhibition showcases the world class science, engineering and skills that give us choices and underpin our growth.”
The day started with a specially convened Cabinet meeting at the Rolls-Royce Learning and Career Development Centre, which focussed on the opportunities and challenges to growth.
- Rolls-Royce is a world-leading provider of power systems and services for use on land, at sea and in the air, and has established a strong position in global markets - civil aerospace, defence aerospace, marine and energy.
- As a result of this strategy, Rolls-Royce has a broad customer base comprising more than 500 airlines, 4,000 corporate and utility aircraft and helicopter operators, 160 armed forces, more than 2,500 marine customers, including 70 navies, and energy customers in nearly 120 countries, with an installed base of 54,000 gas turbines.
- Annual underlying revenues were over £10.8 billion in 2010, of which more than half came from the provision of services. The firm and announced order book stood at £59.2 billion at 31 December 2010, providing visibility of future levels of activity.
- Rolls-Royce employs over 39,000 skilled people in offices, manufacturing and service facilities in over 50 countries. Over 11,000 of these employees are engineers.
- In 2010, Rolls-Royce invested £923 million on research and development, two thirds of which had the objective of further improving the environmental performance of its products, in particular reducing emissions.
- Rolls-Royce supports a global network of 28 University Technology Centres, which connect the company’s engineers with the forefront of scientific research.
- The Group has a strong commitment to apprentice and graduate recruitment and to further developing employee skills.
- In the UK, Rolls-Royce employs over 21,000 people and the Group’s activity supports a total of 106,000 jobs across the UK.
- Rolls-Royce employs 12,000 people in Derby’s and is the City’s biggest employer.
- Advanced manufacturing accounts for 16.8 per cent of Derby’s employment, which is the highest of any English City. Average salaries in the city are also the highest outside London and the South East.
Colin Smith, Nick Clegg, David Cameron and Sir John Rose at the Technology Exhibition Centre in Derby
Rolls-Royce contacts
