Come and celebrate British manufacturing

What better venue for a showcase of the dynamic, successful UK manufacturing sector than London's Science Museum? Modern British manufacturing is highly scientific, highly skilled and high quality – a far cry from the perception of smoke, sweat and toil historically associated with British industry. Business secretary Vince Cable officially opened the exhibition on 24 July, in a week when the world had its eyes on London and the UK. Airbus is exhibiting, alongside other well-known names such as Rolls-Royce and BAE, all of which make something in Great Britain. The Airbus plant in Broughton, north Wales, makes the wings for Airbus airliners, while our plant in Filton, Bristol, undertakes design and testing, but also makes wings for the A400M military transport aircraft. It's big business for Britain. We contribute around £2bn per year to the UK economy and employ more than 10,000 people, with an estimated 100,000 employed via the extended supply chain of 400-plus companies. A little known fact is that the UK is one of the largest exporters of aerospace components in the world, second only to the USA. So our products are seen around the world. Many visitors arriving on flights into London for the Olympics will have arrived on an Airbus aircraft, but how many of them will realise that the wings were made in the UK? Some may also be interested to know that, on average, an Airbus takes off and lands every seven seconds somewhere on the planet – flying on British-made wings. We continue to invest in future techonlogy and Airbus is one of the UK's biggest inward investors in R&D, investing £417m in 2011. Our stand at the exhibition showcases Future by Airbus, our vision for how commercial flight could be transformed by the middle of the century, improving the passenger experience and further reducing the environmental impact of aviation. Advances in technology and the development of skills and talent could well see this concept become a reality. All of the companies participating in the exhibition demonstrate the quality and expertise that make Britain a driving force in manufacturing. Come along to the Science Museum and show your support for our thriving and growing manufacturing sector.