AE Aerospace wins plaudits for customer-focused innovation

At AE Aerospace, we put innovation at the heart of everything we do. Recently that work has been validated with a host of award wins and accolades. On 18th October I was honoured to join a star-studded line-up of manufacturers at the national final of the Institute of Directors (IoD) Director of the Year Awards 2019. I earned my place at the ceremony after being crowned the West Midlands Director of the Year for Innovation in June. The evening gave me the perfect opportunity to reflect on how far the business has come and the role innovation will play in driving future growth.

The national IoD awards came just a day after AE walked away with three category commendations at the 2019 Make UK Manufacturing Awards. These awards recognise the best of manufacturing and engineering in Midlands and East of England. At the annual regional dinner judges commended our work across core categories of Innovation, Business Growth and Strategy, and Developing Future Talent.

2018 also saw AE Aerospace scoop the coveted title of Manufacturer of the Year at the Insider Made in the Midlands Awards. We went on to make the 2019 awards shortlist.

These accolades are more than a glitzy evening out and framed certificate or trophy. They serve to validate our business strategy, recognise the efforts of an entire workforce and provide a marker to show just how much progress we’ve made.

It’s hardly surprising that what we’ve received most recognition for is our commitment to innovation. Over the last five years, we have more than doubled productivity and seen a seven-fold increase in sales. The key driver for that is an ambitious investment programme in people, processes and plant. We’ve embraced new ideas, welcomed input from industry experts and integrated new technologies across our organisation.

Much of that effort has focused on servitisation. Since we began working with Aston University’s Advanced Services Group back in 2015, we’ve worked on adopting a ‘glass factory’ approach to manufacturing. This exploits innovation and shifts our business model to that of a service provider, literally putting customers at the heart of our operation.

The official opening of our new state-of-the-art factory a few weeks ago marked a major milestone in that servitisation journey and will help us invest in further innovations. We now have the capacity to scale up our manufacturing capabilities, track all activity and offer customers machining by the hour.

Be it new Mazak machines, a centralised ERP system or customer-focused cells, we’re always searching for new ways to improve business performance. Over the next two years I anticipate doubling the size of the company once again, and for that I will rely on an ongoing programme of innovation.

Fortunately, UK aerospace is a highly innovative and buoyant sector. According to the ADS Industrial Trends Survey 2019, the UK aerospace sector boasts a turnover of ￡35.9bn, up 45% since 2010. Air traffic is doubling every 15 years, and it’s anticipated an extra 33,000 aircraft will be required over the next two decades.

We can seek inspiration from thought leaders, industry bodies and like-minded businesses. There are so many exciting opportunities out there. For instance, Additive Manufacturing (AM) will revolutionise the way aerospace components are manufactured and help meet demand for lightweight parts.

A consortium led by the Manufacturing Technology Centre (MTC) is running a three-year research project entitled DRAMA (Digital Reconfigurable Additive Manufacturing facilities for Aerospace). It will help build a stronger AM supply chain for UK aerospace by developing a digital learning factory.

I’m encouraged that the aerospace manufacturing and engineering sector is embracing innovation, as are we. In partnership, we can exploit new technologies and ensure innovations continue winning us plaudits as we enter our next stage of growth.