Bombardier Belfast wins 2019 MacRobert Award for eco-friendly jet wing

Bombardier Belfast has won the 2019 MacRobert Award for the development of an eco-friendly jet wing for the Airbus A220.

The Royal Academy of Engineering gives out the MacRobert Award to UK corporations for outstanding innovation in engineering, presenting the winning company with a coveted gold medal and a cash prize of £50,000. This year's award has been given to Bombardier Belfast for their work on the development of the wing for the Airbus A220 that has had a positive environmental impact.

The wing was introduced in 2013 and was the first of its kind, using an advanced composite material that reduces the weight of the aircraft, reduces fuel consumption, and has significantly reduced manufacturing waste compared to conventional metal wings. The project was undertaken by Bombardier Belfast and involved a staggering £520m investment in product development.

The years since that innovation haven't been kind to Bombardier Belfast, with regular rounds of layoffs and redundancies hitting the plant. Bombardier finally announced plans to sell off its operations in Morocco and Belfast back at the start of May, but this doesn't detract from the engineering achievement staff managed back in 2013 and for which the award was given. News of the award may even make the plant a more attractive prospect for potential buyers.

Source: Silicon Republic