Next generation aerospace engineering firm joins Space Park Leicester

Award-winning aerospace engineering company Barrett Aerospace, whose technology helped shape one of the world’s first all-electric passenger aircraft, has joined the innovation community at Space Park Leicester.

The Singapore-based SME, founded by British aerospace engineer and composites specialist Laurence Barrett, is internationally recognised for its advanced work in composite aircraft design, autonomous systems and next generation aerospace technologies. Built around a team of predominantly British professionals living and working across Asia, the company is focused on creating a collaborative bridge between the UK and Singapore, connecting expertise across aerospace, space and advanced engineering.

Its decision to join Space Park Leicester will help to strengthen collaboration between the UK and Singapore aerospace and space sectors, while supporting smaller companies navigating the technical, regulatory and commercial challenges of advanced engineering. Through its involvement with the University of Leicester’s £100 million space research and innovation hub, the company hopes to help international partners engage more closely with the UK space ecosystem while opening new opportunities for collaborative research and supply chain development.

Laurence Barrett said: “Joining Space Park Leicester gives us an exciting opportunity to build new partnerships between the UK and Singapore, while contributing our expertise in advanced composites, simulation, autonomous systems and aerospace development. We are particularly passionate about helping innovative SMEs bridge the gap between concept development and real-world deployment.

“There is enormous potential for stronger collaboration between Singapore and the UK across aerospace, space and advanced manufacturing. Space Park Leicester provides an ideal environment to explore those opportunities while supporting companies developing the next generation of aerospace technologies.”

In 2020, Barrett Aerospace received a Global Business Award for “Leading Specialists in Cutting-Edge Aircraft Design”, recognising its growing reputation for solving some of the aerospace sector’s most complex engineering challenges.

Among the company’s most notable achievements was its involvement in the groundbreaking Alice programme — the world’s first all-electric nine-seat commuter aircraft developed by aerospace company Eviation. Designed to transform regional air travel through zero-emission aviation, Alice became one of the most talked about projects in the global aerospace industry, combining lightweight composite structures with electric propulsion to dramatically reduce operating costs and environmental impact.

Barrett Aerospace played a central role in the programme, designing, building and delivering the aircraft’s entire empennage tail assembly as part of a global supply chain involving partners across 21 countries. Working to exceptionally tight deadlines ahead of the aircraft’s public unveiling at the Paris Air Show in 2019, the company developed multiple design concepts within months while simultaneously refining manufacturing processes to ensure the aircraft could be produced efficiently and at scale.

The project showcased Barrett Aerospace’s expertise in advanced composite engineering and its ability to combine high-performance design with practical manufacturing solutions. The company’s specialist understanding of material science and load carrying composite structures has since become a defining feature of its wider work across aerospace, autonomous systems and space technologies.

Vinay Patel, Head of Commercial and Innovation, at Space Park Leicester said: “Barrett Aerospace is an exciting addition to the Space Park Leicester community. Their involvement in pioneering programmes such as the Alice electric aircraft project demonstrates the calibre of engineering expertise they bring.

“The company’s international outlook, advanced technical capability and commitment to innovation align strongly with Space Park Leicester’s mission to support collaboration across space, aerospace and advanced manufacturing. We look forward to working together on future opportunities that connect industry, research and emerging technologies.”

Barrett Aerospace operates across a broad range of advanced engineering sectors, including recyclable aerospace materials, satellite communications integration, autonomous vehicle deployment systems and space launch technologies. The company supports the development and qualification of new aerospace materials and works closely with UK-based composites manufacturers and is particularly experienced in helping technologies progress through the critical engineering stages between Technology Readiness Levels (TRL) 3–6.

Its engineering activities include UAVs, unmanned ground and marine vehicle deployment systems, prototyping, modelling, full mechanical testing and aircraft manufacturing support. The company also delivers high-level nonlinear simulation and fatigue analysis for aerospace structures, modelling how materials and components behave under real-world operational stress over time.

Singaporean company Equatorial Space Systems (ESS) is another of Barrett Aerospace’s customers.  ESS aim to become Singapore’s first commercially designed vehicle to launch into Low Earth Orbit. Having already achieved lift-off of a Low Altitude Demonstrator over Perak, Malaysia in 2020.

Alongside its engineering capabilities, Barrett Aerospace combines technical, legal and commercial expertise, including in-house legal support for contracts and project delivery phases. The company also has access to trusted flight-testing capability in Queensland, Australia.

Barrett Aerospace is also supporting aerospace supply chain resilience through new cyber security initiatives aimed at helping SMEs strengthen compliance, operational security and certification readiness within increasingly demanding global aerospace markets. Working with specialist cyber security partners, the company is developing practical monitoring and compliance approaches aligned with industry standards such as NADCAP and Cyber Essentials, while also exploring opportunities to support Space Park Leicester companies through future cyber security awareness and resilience initiatives.