£54m aerospace research centre opens in Sheffield with Boeing as first partner

A landmark £54m facility designed to build next-generation industrial and manufacturing capabilities for future aerospace production has officially opened at the University of Sheffield Advanced Manufacturing Research Centre (AMRC). The COMPASS facility, backed by government and regional funding, is expected to accelerate innovation in sustainable aerospace structures. Boeing is the open-access facility’s first user, marking what the company says is its largest research programme ever delivered in the UK: the Isothermic High-Rate Sustainable Structures (IHSS) project. The AMRC said: “My sincere thanks go to the government’s ATI Programme, the South Yorkshire Mayoral Combined Authority, the High Value Manufacturing Catapult and the University of Sheffield, alongside our technology and research partners Loop and Boeing as we embark on our first landmark project together.” The investment represents a significant vote of confidence in UK innovation and the region’s manufacturing expertise.