GKN Aerospace is accelerating its push toward more sustainable aviation with a £50 million (600 million SEK) investment in additive manufacturing at its facility in Trollhättan, Sweden. The move will establish a new Centre of Excellence dedicated to large-scale 3D printing of aircraft engine components, creating around 250 highly skilled jobs for engineers, operators, and technicians.
The Swedish Energy Agency, through its Industriklivet initiative, will contribute £12 million (152 million SEK) to the project, underscoring its national importance in driving innovation and reducing the climate footprint of aviation.
At the heart of the initiative is a fundamental shift in how aircraft components are produced. Traditional manufacturing relies heavily on large castings and forgings, where as much as 80% of the raw material is cut away during machining. By contrast, additive manufacturing builds components layer by layer, reducing raw material usage by up to 80% while simultaneously lowering production costs, cutting emissions, and speeding up delivery times.
The new Trollhättan facility will focus on developing and industrialising additive techniques for large, complex, and load-bearing engine parts. These components are critical to aircraft performance, and the ability to print them at scale represents a major technological milestone.
For GKN Aerospace, the investment is also a culmination of nearly two decades of research and development in 3D printing, with expertise already established in Sweden, the UK, and the US. The company sees the Trollhättan centre as a global reference point for advancing the technology and pushing the boundaries of sustainable aerospace manufacturing.
Industry leaders believe the impact will extend well beyond Sweden. By enabling lighter, more efficient engines, the technology has the potential to reduce fuel consumption and emissions across the aviation sector. Furthermore, the ability to redesign components from the ground up could reshape supply chains, creating opportunities for new efficiencies in aircraft production worldwide.
The Centre of Excellence is expected to position Sweden at the forefront of aerospace innovation, combining industrial expertise with government-backed sustainability goals. It also highlights the growing role of advanced manufacturing technologies in meeting global climate targets, particularly in sectors as challenging to decarbonise as aviation.
