GKN Aerospace opens engineering centre

The centre is supporting the company’s engine systems business, one of the three major aero-engine structures providers to the global aerospace market. In the future its activity will extend to provide engineering support for projects across the GKN Aerospace enterprise, including its market-leading aerostructures and transparencies operations.

GKN Aerospace opened its advanced engineering centre in Bengaluru on September 25. The centre’s highly skilled engineering team, which extends the company’s one thousandstrong global engineering strength, is already contributing in providing design engineering expertise to the company’s international aeroengine activities. Seventy highly qualified design and development engineers have been transferred from Volvo’s Bengaluru facility to the new centre located on the old Airport Road, at the heart of Bengaluru’s aerospace and automotive activities.

Today, the centre is supporting the company’s engine systems business, one of the three major aero-engine structures providers to the global aerospace market.

David Orth, newly appointed General Manager at the Bengaluru engineering centre, said, “GKN Aerospace is known for the strength of its engineering expertise and through this new centre, the company is adding India’s and specifically Bengaluru’s impressive engineering skills base to that expertise. We look forward to playing our part in creating effective design and engineering solutions that will help GKN Aerospace extend the performance of future aircraft and aero-engines.

GKN Aerospace Vice President Engineering Andrew Clarke said, “Over the next 18 months a local recruitment campaign will increase the workforce in Bengaluru to over 100 individuals.” GKN Aerospace will not be parachuting foreign engineers, he added. The company officials said Volvo Aerospace was acquired by GKN in 2012 and incorporated into company’s aerospace business, GKN Aerospace. The aerospace engineering team within the Volvo’s Bengaluru office is now moving to form the core of GKN Aerospace’s new Bengaluru engineering centre.

Clarke said, “In the future the centre will extend to provide engineering support for projects across the GKN Aerospace enterprise, including its market leading aero-structures and transparencies operations.” Stating that the company is also considering aerospace sector related manufacturing unit in Bengaluru, he said: “We are currently in early negotiation with a number of our Indian partners.”