Contract awarded to design aviation centre within Moray
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An £80,000 contract has been signed to draw up designs for the Moray Aerospace campus at Lossiemouth.
Following a tendering process the contract has been awarded to NORR, an international company of architect with local offices in Inverness.
NORR, which has experience of similar projects including the Sutherland space hub, won the contract in the face of competition from 11 other bidders.
Construction of the campus – whose full title will be the Moray Aerospace, Advanced Technology and Innovation Campus (MAATIC) – is due to start in April 2022.
It is being supported by £21 million from the UK Government and £12.3 million from regional partners as part of the Moray Growth Deal.
Moray College UHI is the lead body in setting up the campus
Dr Gary Campbell from UHI said: "The awarding of this design contract marks a significant step in the development of what will be a Moray-based hub of applied engineering excellence.
"The MAATIC will provide a leading role in generating innovative ideas and will be a catalyst for research and the sharing of ideas and knowledge.
"It will be an iconic and mould-breaking facility where an ecosystem of college, university, industry, and the public operate together to identify, develop, and share new and relevant ideas in the spheres of aviation, aerospace and applied advanced technology."
The campus aims to attract apprentices and students from across the UK and overseas.
Its aviation centre will house an operational air-worthy Boeing 737, plus up-to-date equipment and state-of-the-art technology.
Meanwhile, its advanced technologies institute will provide training and research in engineering, digital technology and advanced manufacturing.
There will also be space for new and innovative companies to set up within the site.
John Baird, the managing director at NORR said: "We are proud to have been selected.
"Our approach is highly collaborative and based around a detailed understanding of our client’s vision – combined with local knowledge and experience of delivering higher education, aerospace, and advanced engineering projects.
"We look forward to working with the University of Highlands and Islands, Moray College UHI and the wider stakeholder group to deliver their vision for this flagship project."
