A new £28 million aerospace hub in Prestwick has been labelled a "world class" leader in its field.
The research and development centre was officially opened at Spirit AeroSystems this morning by First Minister Nicola Sturgeon.
Lighter aircraft components will be manufactured on site at the new Aerospace Innovation Centre (AIC).
And it will explore new design techniques on products such as wings, using lightweight composite material technology to reduce flight emissions and lower costs.
The 90,000 square foot facility will also be open to companies in other sectors undertaking similar research into composite solutions, such as those in the automotive or renewable energy sectors.
Its opening was supported with a £4.8m research and development infrastructure grant from Scottish Enterprise.
Ms Sturgeon said Spirit's investment was an "endorsement of Scotland’s engineering and manufacturing capability".
She added: “As well as improving the efficiency of aircraft parts, and the way they are manufactured, this facility has the potential to enable growth for industry-leading aerospace innovations and create more high-value manufacturing jobs over the next decade.
“We are focused on building a stronger, sustainable and inclusive economy, with new, high quality, green jobs, and Scotland’s aerospace sector with the highly-skilled workforce it employs is an integral part of that.”
Scott McLarty, senior vice-president and general manager – Airbus at Spirit AeroSystems, said: “In addition to advancing local skills and rapid knowledge transfer between academia and industry, it will facilitate the development of world-class technology solutions for diverse design and manufacturing applications.
"Our latest investment in collaborative innovation, supported by Scottish Enterprise, reinforces our commitment to strengthen aerospace in Scotland, enabling us to compete more competitively and sustainably on national and global scales.”
Adrian Gillespie, chief executive of Scottish Enterprise, said: “The AIC brings together all the key ingredients of innovation – world class expertise and facilities in a collaborative, diverse and open environment.
"This is an exciting time for advanced manufacturing in Scotland and Scottish Enterprise looks forward to working closely with Spirit, their partners and manufacturers across the country to make the most of the opportunity this centre creates to develop new ideas, products and sustainable jobs."
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