AEROSPACE leaders from East Lancashire put their case to protect the industry in a lobby.

The Nelson based North West Aerospace Alliance led a delegation to the North West Regional Development Agency to outline their concerns and aims for the industry.

The industry has an annual turnover of £5 billion and supports an estimated 147,000 jobs in the region. and the alliance represents more than 80 East Lancashire firms. The NWAA believes the RDA can help it achieve a number of key aims including attracting low cost finance for small manufacturers, and setting up a Centre of Excellence to share design, research and innovation across the North West.

It also wants to forge closer ties with education to increase the number and quality of graduate engineers entering the industry.

"Successful links and mutual support from the RDA, educational establishments and local authorities are crucial to our future as a world class centre for aerospace manufacturer.

"We welcome the opportunity to put our strategy to the RDA at such an early stage in its development,." said Dennis Mendoros, chairman of the NWAA.

"We are sure that this meeting will see another positive step forward."

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