Rockwell Collins announced today that it will enhance its presence and investment in the U.K. with a new center of excellence in Reading, U.K., to support its commercial and military customers. The announcement was made in conjunction with a news conference during the Farnborough International Air Show hosted by the U.K. Ministry of Science and Universities on the topic of creating a good business environment in the country to grow existing and new space business.

In June 2015, Rockwell Collins will be relocating from its current Reading base to a brand new facility at Winnersh Triangle, Reading. This new facility has especially been designed to facilitate the development of advanced technology, particularly in the field of satellite navigation, networking and other government systems.

The new building will feature 40,000 square feet of laboratory facilities with research and development space, plus 30,000 square feet of offices over three floors hosting high-value engineering, business development, program management and shared service functions. The center will meet existing operational needs while allowing sufficient space for long-term and strategic business growth. This move means that Rockwell Collins will invest $34 million over the next 15 years in facility related costs alone.

“The creation of this center of excellence represents a significant long term investment in the U.K. to bring innovative satellite navigation and networking capabilities to the market,” said Colin Mahoney, senior vice president, International & Service Solutions, for Rockwell Collins. “This new facility will help us meet the evolving needs of our commercial and military customers in the U.K., Europe and around the world.”

With three main sites at Crawley, Burgess Hill and Reading in Suttons Business Park, Rockwell Collins currently employs around 500 people in the U.K. with exports representing over 75 percent of its revenues. Since 1955, Rockwell Collins has expanded its presence in the U.K. to provide a comprehensive range of aviation electronics and communications solutions to governments, aircraft manufacturers and OEMs in the United Kingdom, Europe and around the world. Rockwell Collins is an approved British defense contractor and works closely with all facets of the defense industry, from small and medium enterprises to large multinational defense firms. Past successes such as our involvement in the U.K. Bowman program and the U.K. Defense HF Communication Service have come from partnerships and collaborations with organizations such as these.