Aerodynamics specialist firm TotalSim is building a 26,000 square foot state-of-the-art sports engineering facility in Silverstone Park, right on the edge of the site of Formula 1’s British Grand Prix. The project is being completed with the help of a £2 million ($2.6 million) local grant.
The space will include two wind tunnels. One will be used for sports such as cycling, speed-skating, running, and wheelchair athletics, and the other will be for testing fabrics. Offices and design studios for production, prototyping, and testing will also be included according to a release on TotalSim’s website.
“If we can pool the right things together then we believe that organisations will come from around the world to take advantage of the facility—thereby helping to put the UK at the forefront of the development of aerodynamic technologies,” said TotalSim MD Rob Lewis according to an article in the Buckingham & Winslow Advertiser. “In fact this could be the start of a whole series of ventures around Silverstone to do with sports science, engineering and education.”
The University of Buckingham and University of Northampton are partners of the project, which is expected to provide 65 new jobs, 10 apprenticeships, and support 45 enterprises within five years of its anticipated early 2019 opening. According to TotalSim’s website, the company has partnered with Great Britain’s cycling team for the past two Olympics to spearhead the team’s aerodynamic development across equipment and apparel.
“The Silverstone Sports Engineering Hub represents a new innovation centre with specialist facilities to support companies involved in aerodynamics and sports engineering,” said Roz Bird, Commercial Director at Silverstone, according to the local newspaper.
“It also provides opportunities for companies in the area to apply their motorsport and/or advanced engineering capabilities to the sports science sector including cycling, winter Olympic sports and Paralympic sports which are all growing in popularity.”
[Takeway]
The PyeongChang 2018 Olympic Winter Games featured several advancements within virtual reality, wearable technology, and heated uniforms demonstrated on the world stage. Notably, the skinsuits worn by the British skeleton team, made by TotalSim, triggered controversy in Korea over their aerodynamic design. TotalSim’s new facility might allow the aerodynamics engineering company to help teams and athletes develop new competitive advantages.