Opportunity
Opportunity
The epicentre of our credentials is Leonardo, one of the world’s leading aerospace companies and one of the biggest suppliers of defence and security equipment to the UK.
With nearly 2,800 employees at its Yeovil site, the company produces helicopters such as the AW159 Wildcat and AW101 Merlin. A new £30 million single-site logistics hub opened in 2024 to support Leonardo Helicopters’ global fleet.
The Department for International Trade has recognised the South West of England as a High Potential Opportunity for the development, demonstration, and adoption of new and emerging aviation technologies. As a world leader in Smart and Sustainable Aviation, the region presents an exceptional opportunity for investors to plug into a leading aviation ecosystem, built on our aerospace heritage.
The iAero Centre is a purpose-built research, design and innovation facility in Yeovil, built to support the competitiveness and growth of the aerospace and associated high-value design and engineering technology supply chains. The Centre is also rapidly developing into a test evaluation and training site for future flight technologies as part of the SW Future Flight Innovation Zone.
Somerset plays a significant and growing role in the nation’s defence capabilities, particularly in innovation, testing, and support for the armed forces. Defence Primes include Thales, Honeywell, BAE Systems together with a large cluster of smaller unique companies that are pushing at the boundaries of innovative technologies within AI, machine learning and automation.