10/07/12

Minister launches Cornwall's aerohub at Farnborough


Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership will today (10th of July) welcome the Minister of State for Business & Enterprise to formally launch ‘Aerohub @ Newquay Cornwall Airport’ at the Farnborough International Airshow

Aerohub, the only entirely aerospace focused Enterprise Zone in England on an operational airport, will create up to 2,500 high-value permanent jobs in Cornwall.

Aerohub is located at Newquay Cornwall Airport which has one of the longest runways in the UK (2.7km), meaning it can support aircraft of any size as well as offer direct access to the North Atlantic and the growing Eastern markets, and is adjacent to the largest development site in the South West.

The aerospace industry is worth around £20 billion1 per year to the UK economy and the South West one of the country’s most important regions for the industry, with global firms such as Agusta Westland, Pall Aeropower, Lockheed Martin and Serco Aerospace already based in Cornwall. Aerohub Enterprise Zone, which was described by The Chancellor as one of the strongest bids in the country when it was approved in August 2011, will capitalise on these skills and expertise to boost growth by offering aerospace businesses with superfast broadband, simplified planning and business rate discounts.

Business Minister Mark Prisk said:

“Aerohub is a great example of how enterprise zones will be instrumental in stimulating local growth and job opportunities. It will help further strengthen the sector’s skills base while attracting further business that will directly benefit Cornwall’s economy.”

The Minister will be met by Chris Pomfret, Chairman of the Cornwall & Isles of Scilly Local Enterprise Partnership, and Councillor Chris Ridgers from Cornwall Council, and shown a 3D ‘fly through’ video highlighting the potential of the Enterprise Zone, as part of his tour of the regional aerospace exhibitions at the Airshow.

Chris Pomfret said:

“Aerohub at Newquay Cornwall Airport is unique. It offers an operational airport with one of the country’s longest runways,
buildings, no air traffic control restrictions, easy access to the major road network and a nascent aerospace cluster in one of the most desirable places in the UK in which to live. It combines these attributes with the benefits that come with Enterprise Zone status.

"Farnborough gives us the opportunity to demonstrate this unique proposition to the world’s aerospace industry, and, therefore, our potential future customers. They get a great place to ‘do business’ and Cornwall will get much needed skilled jobs.”

Chris Ridgers, Cornwall Council’s Portfolio Holder for Economy & Regeneration added:

“The Farnborough International Airshow brings together the worldwide aviation industry and provides an excellent opportunity for businesses to meet existing and future customers and suppliers. Promoting the unique features of Aerohub @ Cornwall Newquay Airport to a global audience raises the profile the Cornwall offer within the aviation sector, which has a good proportion of highly skilled and relatively well highly paid jobs. Attracting some of them to Cornwall, and creating supportive educational and training capabilities to enable many of the jobs to be filled locally, is part of our economic ambitions.”

Cornwall is also represented at the Airshow by Goonhilly Earth Station Ltd (GES), which is part of the Space Zone exhibition in Hall 3. GES offers a wide range of satellite communications services and is engaged on a major upgrade program for the famous Goonhilly site.  GES is encouraging business and individuals operating in space-related industries to relocate to Cornwall to take advantage of the  county’s skills and heritage in the aerospace sector and will work closely with the Aerohub Team.

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