The new office, funded by the UK Ministry of Defence, will support Rolls-Royce Submarines and the Submarine Delivery Agency on the Dreadnought and AUKUS programmes. It reflects the government’s commitment to strengthening the UK’s Defence Nuclear Enterprise and delivering the nation’s nuclear deterrent as a collaborative, national endeavour.
The Cardiff site has been strategically selected to tap into Wales’s strong engineering and technology talent base. It will attract experts across mechanical design, materials engineering, structural integrity analysis, thermal analysis and fluid dynamics, as demand for skilled specialists continues to grow alongside renewed national interest in nuclear technologies.
Steve Carlier, President – Rolls-Royce Submarines, said: “The Cardiff Satellite Office opening shows Rolls-Royce Submarines’ intent on attracting the brightest and best from across the UK. It also highlights the UK-wide economic benefit that investing in defence can bring. We are in a time of unprecedented growth for our business, and Rolls-Royce is dedicated to developing the current and future generations of nuclear talent to help power our ambitions. With the work secured from our AUKUS contracts, alongside the Dreadnought programme, and our future Novel Nuclear ambitions, there has never been a better and more exciting time to join our industry.”
Rt Hon Jo Stevens, MP for Cardiff East, said: “I’m incredibly proud to open the new Rolls-Royce Office in Cardiff. This development will bring highly skilled job opportunities and economic growth to the people of Cardiff. The partnership with industry shows Wales, and Cardiff, has an important role to play in UK Defence and the long-term work available from this industry will provide security and prosperity for years to come.”
First Minister Eluned Morgan stated: “Having major companies like Rolls-Royce bringing new jobs to Wales is a boost to skilled manufacturing industries. We want to attract more global companies like Rolls-Royce to Wales, which is why we are holding our International Investment Summit on 1st December. I’m particularly pleased that the company was attracted here by the engineering talent that we have in Wales.”
Rt Hon Luke Pollard MP, Minister for Defence Readiness and Industry, added: “The opening of the new Rolls-Royce office in Cardiff supports the national endeavour, the UK’s nuclear deterrent, and demonstrates how defence investment is an engine for growth in Wales. This investment will create more than 100 highly skilled jobs in Wales, supporting our prosperity and security for decades to come.”
Rolls-Royce Submarines, which employs more than 5,000 people, designs, manufactures and supports the nuclear reactor plants powering every submarine in the Royal Navy’s fleet. The company also operates the Nuclear Skills Academy in Derby, launched in 2022, providing 200 apprenticeships annually for at least the next decade to ensure a strong pipeline of future talent for the UK’s nuclear sector.
