AN aerospace centre of excellence is to be built adjacent to RAF Lossiemouth, following £21 million in funding from the UK Government as part of the Moray Growth Deal.
The Moray Aerospace, Advanced Technology and Innovation Campus will work with both the RAF and private partners to support RAF Lossiemouth’s new fleet of submarine hunting Poseidon maritime patrol aircraft.
The UK Government said the development will create hundreds of new student places to provide Moray residents with the necessary skills to work in the aviation sector, thus turning Moray into a ‘global centre’ for aviation engineering.
UK Government minister for Scotland, Iain Stewart, commented, “Since the Moray deal was announced we have been working to make progress, and I am delighted to confirm the UK Government will invest £21 million in this college hub which will help the region prosper from its aerospace sector.
“There is a significant way to go to get our economy back on track after the coronavirus pandemic, but we know that the City and Region Growth Deals will be crucial to Scotland’s economic recovery.
“The pandemic has called for extraordinary economic measures, and the UK Government has done everything we can to support jobs and businesses. We have supported 900,000 jobs in Scotland with our furlough and self-employed schemes, including 15,700 in Moray.”
The Moray Growth Deal is a regional deal designed to boost economic growth across the region. It is joint funded by the UK Government and Scottish Government, with each investing £32.5 million into the scheme.
