Purdue, Rolls-Royce Announce $24M Aerospace R&D Partnership

(Image courtesy of the Indiana Economic Development Corp.) The announcement caps off an economic development mission in France and Hungary.

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Purdue University and Rolls-Royce, which employs more than 4,000 Hoosiers, have announced a $24 million partnership. The agreement, announced Monday by Governor Eric Holcomb and Rolls-Royce officials at the Paris Air Show, involves launching a turbine laboratory for gas turbine engine research and development at Purdue. It will be housed at Zucrow Laboratories on Purdue’s campus, which is one of the largest propulsion labs of its kind at a university in the U.S.

The turbine airfoil technology at the heart of the agreement is used by Roll-Royce and companies like it, as well as the U.S. Air Force and NASA. Holcomb says "many of the innovations we’re seeing presented on the trade show floor were fostered by key partnerships between our state’s universities and industry leaders. With this latest team-up between the state, Purdue and Rolls-Royce, I can’t wait to see new turbine technology take flight in Indiana."

The Indiana Economic Development Corp. says the state is home to more than 80 aerospace industry businesses, which employ around 7,000.

Rolls-Royce North America Chief Executive Officer Marion Blakey says partnering with Purdue and the state strengthens the Indiana aerospace industry. "The strong relationships we enjoy in the state enable us to make significant and repeated investments like these in Indiana – from our recent $600 million facility modernization and technology initiative, to the opening of our facility earlier this year at Purdue’s new Aerospace District in West Lafayette," she says. "Together, we are ensuring that Indiana remains a leader in the aerospace industry for decades to come."

The company is planning to pump up to $10 million into the effort, Purdue’s contribution is $8 million and the Indiana Economic Development Corp. is offering up to $6 million through the Indiana 21st Century Research and Technology Fund.

You can connect to more about the agreement by clicking here.