Invest in Gloucestershire visits Farnborough Airshow

The Invest in Gloucestershire team recently attended the Farnborough Airshow which took place between 22nd to 26th July.

This event takes place every two years and is the go-to event globally for the aerospace and aviation industries, providing invaluable opportunities to build new business connections and engage with those at the forefront of emerging new technologies.

The show included over 1000 exhibitors from 44 countries, along with 27 country pavilions. This included major local firms such as Moog, Safran and Zero Avia.

Innovation and sustainability were key themes for this year’s show and the team had an extremely productive day speaking to a large number of exhibitors and visiting a number of the country pavilions to explore the growth aspirations of overseas firms looking at entry into the UK market.

These conversations uncovered a variety of new investment leads, including companies that are manufacturing planes and seeking new international hubs as those looking to expand their operations in the growing field of drone technology. Our strengths in digital technology and cyber security were also of interest to various companies in mainland Europe and the US.

The fact that Gloucestershire boasts two airports, is a major asset to the County played an important part in our discussions with these businesses.

Gloucestershire also featured as part of the Southwest of England’s aerospace cluster, the UK’s largest aerospace hub, boasting a workforce of over 180,000 people and leading the way in innovation and zero emission flight

The West of England Aerospace Forum (WEAF) had a stand at the Show, which included a range of regional partners. This has also resulted in us receiving additional referrals from potential investors.  

The Invest in Gloucestershire team continues to showcase our aerospace assets, especially our two airports, and looks forward to hosting potential new investors in the coming months.