NO place on earth has given more to aerospace and aviation than Farnborough.

Man has been ascending into the skies from there since 1905 when the Royal Engineers Balloon School was first tethered to the small town.

And when Samuel Cody took off in 1908 he piloted Britain’s first official flight in a heavier-than-air machine. He looked down on Farnborough from the dizzying height of 1,390ft.

Since then Farnborough has remained at the epicentre of aerospace and aviation research and development.

And now its future promises to be just as influential with the opening of the Aerospace Research & Innovation Centre (ARIC).

Based on the Farnborough College of Technology campus and funded by Enterprise M3 LEP and Rushmoor District Council, it is a dedicated aerospace and innovation facility.

Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (FAC) has already moved into the new state-of-the-art building which will act like a magnet in attracting small and medium sized businesses.

FAC has for 25 years helped companies of all sizes within the sector to grow and develop, win business and innovate.

Its chief executive officer Alan Fisher said: “This really is a superb facility that is anchored in the past with Farnborough’s aerospace history, but looks forward to the astonishing potential in the sector.

“SMEs and start-ups will find the perfect place to develop, and the bigger players can also benefit by using it as an accelerator hub.

“Farnborough is responsible for the development of airborne cameras, high altitude space suits, night vision aids as well as countless other innovations.

“I fully expect many more inventions, innovations and creations to pour out ARIC’s doors over the coming decades.

“SMEs will not only have top facilities to work in, but the facility gives the potential to collaborate with other businesses.

“We look forward to welcoming the new companies who move here so then can benefit from our expertise and experience and use the assets we possess.”

Within ARIC is a dedicated collaboration space, break-out rooms, conference rooms, meeting rooms, offices, an open resource space and a business incubator room.

Clustering of businesses within an industry or sector has long been known to bring better results, and ARIC has been purpose built to do this. There is potential too for businesses to work with graduates and students and to take part in joint training sessions, whether theoretical or practical.

Bringing a product to market is no easy thing, especially in tightly-regulated industries, but one of ARIC’s purposes is to oil the wheels of this process.

One reason Farnborough has remained the centre of aerospace and aviation is its geography. With road, rail and air connections and its proximity to London, the location of ARIC couldn’t be better.

This part of Hampshire has a bright future and ARIC is its shining light.