It will be used to design, make and test engines
12:24, 22 Jul 2026Updated 13:39, 22 Jul 2026
Rolls-Royce in Filton(Image: Getty Images)
Rolls-Royce is planning to build a huge new research and manufacturing hub in Filton near Bristol, it has announced. The aerospace giant is spending £100m on the facility which will be used to design, assemble and test engines for the defence industry.
The building will be based within the company’s existing site at Gipsy Patch Lane and will be used to develop new products for future air combat, according to Rolls-Royce.
Belfast-headquartered construction firm McLaughlin & Harvey (M&H), which has already completed two other schemes for Rolls-Royce, has been awarded the contract to build the facility. The company’s Midlands and South West teams will be working on this new project.
Paul Pennington, senior vice president of infrastructure and defence for Rolls-Royce, said: “We are very pleased to be announcing the contract award to McLaughlin & Harvey. This complex facility is a physical manifestation of our commitment to novel technology and agile ways of working.
“By embedding our previous learnings, we are creating a space for state-of-the-art technology development, to ensure we meet our ambitious customer commitments while future-proofing our capabilities for decades to come.”
Rolls-Royce said the high-tech facility would “accelerate the pace and drive efficiencies” across research, test and manufacturing while allowing for new technology development.
Dougie McCusker, construction director at McLaughlin & Harvey, said: “Our Midlands and South West team will draw on this past experience and broader expertise in complex manufacturing environments to support the client in building a state-of-the-art manufacturing and assembly facility in Bristol.”
Rolls-Royce said that once the facility is operational it “will future-proof” the Bristol site as it will be able to provide “the required developments” for future air combat.
“The development is underpinned by ongoing enabling work to improve safety, security, and resilience across the site,” the company added.
The news comes just a month after former Prime Minister Sir Keir Starmer unveiled a £15bn defence spending plan for the UK.
In June, shares in Rolls-Royce surged as investors piled into the primary beneficiaries of the government’s Defence Investment Plan.
The manufacturer, which also has a UK site in Derby, is a key supplier to the Ministry of Defence, producing engines for the Royal Air Force’s C-130 Hercules and the Eurofighter Typhoon.
It also designs and builds the nuclear reactors that power the Vanguard and Astute submarines, which carry the UK’s nuclear deterrent and remain permanently on patrol at sea.