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A group of passionate and dedicated Rolls-Royce employees are working around the clock to increase the UK’s supply of ventilators.

We’re part of VentilatorChallengeUK, a consortium of businesses who’ve come together to make ventilators for the UK. Around 300 of our people are working on the challenge.

In less than one month they’ve created a new supply chain, sourcing millions of parts to feed into new assembly lines around the country. In total, the consortium will deliver more than 20,000 ventilators to the UK’s National Health Service (NHS).

Here, we meet some of the team to find out more about their work, their experience on the challenge, and why they wanted to help.

“I knew the people at Rolls-Royce would have the passion, the skills and the drive to make this a reality.”

Carrie McComb, Head of Procurement Excellence, Civil Aerospace

WATCH

As part of my day job, I buy parts to go into engines.

I got involved in the ventilator project because I heard that there was a consortium being set up that needed to set up a duplicate supply chain, and I knew the people at Rolls-Royce would have the skills to make that happen.

Jet engines are made up of thousands of components – our Trent XWB has more than 20,000 – so we’re experienced in procuring different parts from around the world.

We created a supply chain in just two weeks. It’s really been an honour to work with this team.

“My wife works on the NHS front line. It’s a privilege to be involved.”

Praveen Damodhar, Manufacturing Engineer, Civil Aerospace

WATCH

I wanted to support my wife, who works in the NHS, and make a contribution to the community.

The biggest challenge was working 14-hour days. Some of the emails I got were at 4AM, because our suppliers were working in three shifts, around the clock.

My wife is a key worker and works weekends, so it was definitely an experience working on the challenge while on my own with the kids!

I think this will be seen as a benchmark project. We’ve been able to deliver so quickly, and we’ll take that experience into future projects.

“The lengths that members of the team have gone to have been incredible.”

Phil Walters, Strategy Development, Defence

WATCH

How did I feel when I got the call to work on the project? Immense privilege, immense panic! How on earth were we going to be able to make medical ventilators? It really is a privilege to be involved in something like this.

Various people on the team have partners and family members who work in the NHS. My wife is one of them; there is no question about who has the most important job in the family!

She’ll come home and talk about what they’ve been through on the ward. As hard as we’ve worked over the past 21 days, it doesn’t really compare.

“This experience will stay with me for the rest of my life.”

Scott Pavlock, Raw materials buyer, Civil Aerospace

WATCH

Normally I buy titanium for a living. But for this project I’ve been helping to coordinate our procurement teams, who are working flat out to source the different parts for the ventilator supply chain.

I figured if I could make a small difference and help make the team successful, then it could make a difference to the people who really need it. That was all it took for me to get involved.

The most challenging part of the project was probably in the first few days when we were figuring out how to do the task. This was something we’d never done before and it seemed like such a monumental thing to do! But the team was absolutely incredible; I’ve never seen anything like it.

It was truly amazing to see what the team could accomplish.

Part of our response to the COVID-19 outbreak

We’re dedicated to supporting customers, communities, governments and health workers during the outbreak of COVID-19. We’ve created a shield to protect health workers from aerosolised COVID-19 as they treat patients, our employees are producing protective personal equipment using 3D printers around the world, and we’ve published STEM materials to continue to inspire the next generation of pioneers.