As Rolls-Royce finishes construction on its first facility built from the ground up in the United States, Virginia Tech begins a long and beneficial relationship that will supply funding, research opportunities, and jobs to students and graduates. The Crosspointe facility, built in Prince George County, Va., will be home not only to Rolls-Royce's assembly and test facility for its civil aerospace operations, but also to the new Commonwealth Center of Advanced Manufacturing (CCAM), a unique partnership between the commonwealth of Virginia, the University of Virginia, Virginia Tech, Rolls-Royce, and other participants. With the help of Virginia Tech and schools from around the state, the facility will produce world-class research in manufacturing technologies, surface engineering, and other areas.
Since 2009, the state has been supporting endowed professorships, internships, and graduate students at Virginia Tech and other universities as a result of the new jet engine manufacturing plant. Virginia will also be renovating engineering laboratories and providing matching funds for research support from Rolls-Royce. These investments will help foster growth in the state’s aerospace industry and related businesses and bring more than $52 million in new payroll revenues to the state. By providing strong research and job opportunities to students and graduates, Virginia Tech and Rolls-Royce are making an impact on the future of Virginia.