AIRSHOW: David Cameron speaks to business leaders at the UK Pavilion hosted by ADS (pictured right). Defence Secretary Philip Hammond MP also visited Rubb Buildings Ltd’s stand to talk to MD Ian Hindmoor about Rubb’s recent international projects (pictured above)
Rubbing shoulders with the PM
The Prime Minister said he is ‘proud’ to support UK SMEs showcasing their expertise in aerospace at the Dubai Airshow.
David Cameron visited the UK exhibitors, including Rubb Buildings Ltd from Gateshead’s Team Valley Trading Estate, before the show took off. He described the aerospace industry as ‘absolutely vital’ for Britain.
Rubb is promoting its Expeditionary Forces Aircraft Shelter System (EFASS) on ADS Stand 1569A, at Dubai Airshow from November 17th-21st 2013 at Dubai World Central, UAE.
The Prime Minister demonstrated his support for UK aerospace and defence with a visit to UK exhibitors at the Dubai Airshow 2013. He visited ADS (Advancing UK Aerospace, Defence, Security and Space Industries) for an introduction to the UK Pavilion. He went on to meet several UK supply chain businesses and deliver a speech at the UK Trade and Investment (UKTI) stand.
The Prime Minister said: “One of our greatest strengths is Aerospace: We have the second largest aerospace industry anywhere in the world. This is an absolutely vital industry for Britain. It employs 230,000 people – the second largest in the world. Every day, aircraft are taking off with British wings, British landing gear and Rolls-Royce engines. We can be incredibly proud of this industry.”
Mr Cameron highlighted the importance of the Defence Growth Partnership and Aerospace Growth Partnership, both of which have been forging closer links between Government and industry to identify and seize opportunities for future growth.
One such opportunity is the projected increase in demand in the Middle East. This year, the UK Pavilion is bigger than ever before, featuring 38 companies, compared to just 14 in 2011.
The Prime Minister added: “We as a country, to succeed in the future, should to play to our strengths. Succeeding in this global economy doesn’t mean trying to compete at the bottom end with low pay, low wages, low value added. It means competing at the top end with high skilled, high paid, high quality jobs. And that is what you see in the British aerospace industry: a massive amount of R&D, a huge amount of investment, very high skills, very good creation of intellectual property and that’s why you’re so vital, not just in terms of your own future, but in terms of the whole country’s future.
“That’s why I’m very proud to stand here today, at this display, with many more companies exhibiting here than there were two years ago, and to say that the Government is absolutely behind your industry, whether it is civil aerospace, defence aerospace or whether it is the many SMEs involved in this vital industry.”
Ian Hindmoor, Managing Director at Rubb Buildings Ltd, said: “It was encouraging to hear the Prime Minister say the Government is behind our industry and provide his support to exporting businesses, particularly SMEs. We were also pleased to welcome Defence Secretary Philip Hammond to our stand. He was very complimentary about our aircraft hangars after seeing them in action at Al Minhad Air Base in the UAE. We are proud to represent the UK and the North East of England as a manufacturing SME at the Dubai Airshow. We hope to now develop new contacts and build on our recent successful aircraft hangar project at Horizon Flight Academy at Al Ain in the UAE.”
