Rolls-Royce technology
'Vision'
Each year, in collaboration with our partners, Rolls-Royce invests around £700 million in Research and Development. About two-thirds of this programme is aimed at improving the environmental performance of our products and operations.
Over £120 million of this programme is dedicated to innovative technology aimed at improving environmental performance. This technology is created by many of the same engineers who are later involved in our product development programmes. As a result, they have the skills and knowledge to apply the latest cutting edge technologies to product development.
Experience
For example, experience gained on the EFE programme will be used in many of our next generation gas turbines. New technology can often also be retrofitted into existing, in-service products to improve environmental performance further.
The Rolls-Royce Research and Technology programme operates in three stages - Strategic (or 'basic') Research, Applied Research and Technology Validation. Technology Validation delivers a 'generic' technology base of knowledge, models, and materials for application across a wide range of products.
Strategic Research is where the company evaluates and develops radical new technologies and matches these with potential business opportunities. Progressing technology through this stage can take many years.
Our new low emissions fuel cell system for power generation is now in the final stages of technology validation but the innovative electrochemical and materials technologies that make this power system possible were initially created in our Strategic Research programme in the 1990s.
More case studies
Case study
Environmentally Friendly Engine programme
The £95 million EFE is the latest demonstrator
programme to be launched by Rolls-Royce to
demonstrate the technologies required to deliver
the ACARE goals for 2020. The technology and
improved efficiencies which EFE is planned to
deliver will lead to reduced fuel consumption,
emissions and noise.
