Rolls-Royce First Business To Take Off At Purdue Aerospace District

Rolls-Royce to construct 40,000-square-foot facility to house the R&D group for Rolls-Royce and for other companies interested in aerospace and aviation development.

WEST LAFAYETTE AND INDIANAPOLIS, IND. (PRWEB) Rolls-Royce is the first partner on the runway with Purdue Research Foundation in the recently established Purdue Research Park Aerospace District in West Lafayette, officials announced Wednesday (Sept. 23).

Pending board approvals, Purdue Research Foundation, which owns and manages the Purdue Research Park network, will construct a 40,000-square-foot facility in the new aerospace district to house the R&D group for Rolls-Royce and for other companies interested in aerospace and aviation development.

"We are pleased to be the first to join the Purdue Research Park Aerospace District and we see great potential in how it will continue to help us provide innovative solutions for our customers," said Denny Warner, an executive for Rolls-Royce. "The energy that is generated from the activities in the district and the proximity to Purdue's airport, and the aviation, engineering and technology programs will provide us with greater opportunities to conduct collaborative research with Purdue while we continue to advance our own work in jet engine development."

Rolls-Royce is a recognized leader in designing and manufacturing aerospace products and already has a strong research relationship with Purdue University.

"Rolls-Royce and Purdue have a deep history of collaboration. Over the years, the company has invested more than $17 million in collaborative research and development activities at Purdue," said Purdue President Mitch Daniels. "The company also has nearly 600 Purdue graduates working for it, making it a strong recruiter of Purdue talent. That Rolls-Royce is our first partner in our newly created aerospace district marks a new era in our history with the company."

The new research facility will further assist Rolls-Royce in:

• Designing, developing and testing of jet engine components.
• Collaborating with Purdue researchers through corporate partnerships.
• Recruiting future talent of Purdue student interns and graduates.

"Rolls-Royce is a world-class enterprise and exactly the type of company that the new aerospace district is designed to serve," said Dan Hasler, president of Purdue Research Foundation. "One aspect that has attracted so much attention to this project from private and public companies is that Purdue is one of very few elite research institutions with an adjacent fully operational airport, and the location of the aerospace district makes it easy for them to collaborate with Purdue researchers and students. We are pleased to join with Rolls-Royce to inaugurate this new park and know that many fine companies will follow."

The Purdue Research Park Aerospace District opened earlier this year and encompasses the Purdue University Airport, Purdue Aviation (formerly Lafayette Aviation), Mach 6 Quiet Flow Ludwieg Tube Wind Tunnel and the Maurice J. Zucrow Laboratories. The site has been named an Indiana Certified Technology Park by the Indiana Economic Development Corporation.

The infrastructure and pedestrian area that runs by the new aerospace district is under improvement as well through a $60 million West Lafayette project to be matched by Purdue University. The project includes two-way traffic lanes, wider walkways and separate bike trails over a two-mile stretch along State Street/U.S. 26 near and through the Purdue campus.

"The announcement of Rolls-Royce, a world renowned leader in the aerospace industry, is a wonderful example of the results from the strong partnership among West Lafayette, Purdue University and the Purdue Research Foundation," said John Dennis, West Lafayette mayor. "It also exemplifies the potential growth and promise for the future as we work together on the improvements and beautification of the State Street Project. This project will create a gateway to West Lafayette and Purdue University that will support economic development and improved quality of life for the entire region."

Visit Purdue Aerospace District or State Street Project for information on these enterprises or Purdue aerospace video for a view of aviation at Purdue.

About Rolls-Royce Indianapolis
For 100 years, Rolls-Royce and its predecessor companies have been engineering, designing and manufacturing advanced technology in the city of Indianapolis. Today, Rolls-Royce employs 4,000 people in Indianapolis, with 1,050 working in production and nearly 1,400 engineers. Engines designed, assembled and tested at Rolls-Royce in Indianapolis power U.S. Department of Defense aircraft, civil helicopters, regional and business jets, and power systems for U.S. Naval vessels. These include the F-35B Lighting II, C-130J Hercules; V-22 Osprey; Global Hawk UAV; various commercial helicopters and the new naval Ship-to-Shore Connector program.

About Purdue Research Foundation
The Purdue Research Foundation is a private, nonprofit foundation created to advance the mission of Purdue University. Established in 1930, the foundation accepts gifts; administers trusts; funds scholarships and grants; acquires property; protects Purdue's intellectual property; and promotes entrepreneurial activities on behalf of Purdue. The foundation manages the Purdue Foundry, Purdue Office of Technology Commercialization, Purdue Research Park and Purdue Technology Centers. The foundation received the 2014 Incubator Network of the Year from the National Business Incubation Association for its work in entrepreneurship. For more information about funding and investment opportunities in startups based on a Purdue innovation, contact the Purdue Foundry at foundry(at)prf.org.