GKN Aerospace has inaugurated its latest Global Technology Centre (GTC) in Hoogeveen, the Netherlands. The cutting-edge facility, part of GKN Aerospace’s significant €80 million investment in the country, serves as a hub for research and accelerated development of sustainable aerospace technologies. The primary focus of the Netherlands GTC is advancing lightweight thermoplastic composites for the next generation of aircraft. Additionally, it leads an extensive research and development program for electrification in collaboration with GKN Fokker sites in Hoogerheide and Papendrecht.
The thermoplastics research initiatives at the GTC aim to develop new lightweight composite materials and processes that allow scalable and cost-effective high-volume production for the next era of single-aisle aircraft. Leveraging advanced thermoplastic composites can reduce the weight of aircraft by at least 10% compared to traditional materials. Thermoplastics also offer production efficiency, excellent fire safety properties, and high recyclability, making them a viable and sustainable solution for aircraft structural components.