Henry Boot to develop £162m Duxford AvTech aviation innovation campus

HBD, Henry Boot’s property investment and development arm, has been appointed as development partner for Duxford AvTech, a £162m aviation technology campus positioning itself as “the UK’s new home for the research and development, prototype testing and manufacture of new low and zero carbon aircraft technology”.

image: IWM Duxford

This will include the development of electric, hydrogen and hybrid powered aircraft, alternative power sources, new materials, and associated technologies and services to shape the next generation of air transport. The focus will be on small, short distance transport for cargo, as well as small passenger transport aircraft and non-commercial passenger transport.

Developed by Imperial War Museums (IWM) and Gonville & Caius College, University of Cambridge, the campus is on land adjacent to the existing IWM Duxford museum site in Cambridgeshire.

Professor Rob Miller, a Fellow of Gonville & Caius College, Cambridge, and Director of the Whittle Laboratory at the University of Cambridge said, “Achieving an aviation sector with no climate impact is one of society’s biggest challenges. Solving it will require a complex combination of technology, business and policy. Duxford AvTech and its close proximity to the research taking place at the Whittle Laboratory in Cambridge offers an exceptional opportunity to bring together the best minds and skills to meet these challenges.”

The 25-acre site is located 8 miles south of Cambridge city centre within the economically significant Oxford-Cambridge Arc, offering excellent transport links with access to Junction 10 of the M11.

Duxford AvTech is projected to deliver significant economic, environmental and social benefits, including 1,200 new jobs and an estimated £64m in additional gross value added to the Cambridgeshire economy.

The next step will be to prepare detailed development plans and engage with partners with the aim of submitting a planning application before the end of the year.

Tim Roberts, CEO at Henry Boot, commented, "HBD's appointment at Duxford AvTech represents another important milestone for our property investment and development business. This is a transformative scheme that will unlock meaningful opportunities for the local economy and further strengthen Cambridge's position as a global hub for research and innovation. We look forward to working alongside IWM and Gonville & Caius College to deliver this world-class advanced aviation technology cluster."