The race to increase aerospace and defence production is creating a parallel requirement across industry: organisations need the physical infrastructure to support expansion at a similar pace.

With aerospace and defence manufacturers targeting substantial increases in production, a recent industry analysis found supply chain constraints were affecting delivery across the overwhelming majority of programmes studied. Production scalability is increasingly being viewed as a source of competitive advantage as primes and their suppliers look for ways to unlock additional capacity.

For Black Country manufacturer Regent Engineering, that environment presents an opportunity for its FloorStak® modular flooring system to play a practical role in how organisations create additional operational space.

Designed and manufactured in the UK, FloorStak provides an engineered support system for creating level, load-bearing floors over existing surfaces and challenging ground conditions. Its modular construction means substantial temporary structures can be installed quickly, adapted to individual applications and subsequently dismantled and redeployed.

Regent Engineering Managing Director Stuart Whitehouse believes that flexibility has particular relevance for aerospace and defence organisations responding to rapidly evolving capacity requirements.

“Aerospace and defence businesses are being asked to scale at considerable pace, and that creates requirements throughout their operations,” said Whitehouse. “Production equipment, people and materials all need somewhere to operate, and creating that additional space quickly can become an important part of the overall capacity strategy.”

The scale of the challenge is considerable. Analysis of US and European aerospace and defence programmes indicates production growth targets ranging from 20% to 500% above recent levels, with some organisations targeting output at as much as six times previous rates.

That growth can translate into requirements for additional manufacturing areas, logistics facilities, warehousing, maintenance environments and other temporary or semi-permanent structures across large industrial sites.

FloorStak is designed to provide the foundation beneath those structures.

Rather than requiring every temporary facility to begin with extensive traditional groundworks, the modular system can create a stable and level platform across uneven or sloping surfaces. Components can be configured around the requirements of an individual project, helping organisations bring usable space into operation at speed.

“The value of a modular system is that infrastructure can evolve alongside the organisation,” Whitehouse explained. “A customer may need additional space to support a programme, a production ramp-up, maintenance activity or storage requirement. FloorStak gives them an engineered platform that can be installed quickly and configured around the site.”

That ability to redeploy the system also changes the economics of temporary infrastructure.

FloorStak components can be dismantled and used again, allowing organisations with multiple facilities, changing programmes or recurring temporary infrastructure requirements to retain an asset for future projects.

For defence organisations in particular, where operational requirements can evolve quickly, the ability to create robust infrastructure while retaining flexibility can provide an important advantage.

Aerospace presents similar opportunities. Aircraft, engine and systems manufacturers are increasing output while lower-tier suppliers may need to expand even faster as demand from several programmes converges simultaneously. The industry analysis highlights how these suppliers can face combined capacity requirements greater than those visible from any single customer forecast.

Whitehouse believes physical infrastructure deserves a place within that wider conversation about scalability.

“When people talk about increasing aerospace and defence capacity, the focus naturally goes towards machinery, automation, skills and supply chains,” he said. “The buildings and infrastructure surrounding those investments matter as well.

“FloorStak is about giving organisations another option. If additional operational space can be created efficiently, brought into service quickly and then adapted or reused as requirements change, that can support a much more agile approach to expansion.”

FloorStak also draws upon more than eight decades of Regent Engineering’s experience in metal forming, fabrication and engineered products from its manufacturing base in Darlaston.

As aerospace and defence organisations examine every part of their operations for opportunities to increase capacity, the Black Country manufacturer sees modular infrastructure becoming an increasingly relevant part of the solution.

As a result, “Industry is looking for practical ways to turn demand into output,” Whitehouse added. Moreover, FloorStak is a simple idea built around strong engineering principles: delivering a level, dependable platform with rapid reuse.

Additionally, this combination of speed, adaptability and reuse has real potential for organisations.

Moreover, aerospace and defence are entering a crucial expansion phase, making rapid production infrastructure as vital as assets.

From world-class airshows and international sporting tournaments to agricultural shows, festivals and corporate hospitality venues, many of the world’s most memorable events begin on ground that was never designed to host them.

Racecourses, parkland, historic estates, dockyards, quarries, airfields and open countryside each present their own unique characteristics. Yet for event organisers, temporary structure specialists and venue operators, the expectation remains exactly the same: create a safe, stable and professional environment that feels as permanent as the event itself.

As the temporary structures industry continues to deliver increasingly ambitious venues in ever more diverse locations, the engineering beneath the finished event has become every bit as important as the architecture above it.

For FloorStak, the challenge is not simply creating a temporary floor. It is creating the confidence to build almost anywhere.

“Every outstanding event begins with the same question,” says Stuart Whitehouse, Managing Director of FloorStak. “How do you create a stable, level platform on ground that was never intended to support a temporary structure? Once that challenge is solved, everything else can come together with confidence.”

Temporary event infrastructure has evolved significantly over the past decade. Modern hospitality suites, exhibition halls, viewing platforms and temporary buildings now incorporate sophisticated flooring systems, integrated access solutions, balustrades and elevated structures that deliver the appearance and performance expected of permanent facilities.

Achieving that standard starts beneath the visible floor.

FloorStak’s support and levelling system has been developed to accommodate uneven and sloping terrain while integrating seamlessly with temporary structures and flooring systems. The modular system supports installations up to two metres in height, is suitable for floor ratings up to 750kg/m², features independently verified structural calculations and is designed for rapid installation and dismantling, helping contractors maximise efficiency on site.

Rather than requiring extensive ground preparation, the system enables installers to create level working platforms across a wide range of environments, allowing venues to make full use of landscapes that might otherwise remain inaccessible.

That flexibility has become increasingly valuable as event organisers seek distinctive locations capable of delivering memorable visitor experiences.

Historic houses, waterfronts, country estates and city centres all offer exceptional settings, yet each demands an infrastructure solution that respects the location while providing a premium environment for exhibitors, guests and visitors alike.

“The location is often what makes an event memorable,” continues Whitehouse. “Our role is to make that location work. Whether we’re supporting a hospitality structure overlooking a racecourse, creating exhibition space on an airfield or delivering access across challenging terrain, our focus is always on giving customers complete confidence in the platform they’re building upon.”

The wider FloorStak product portfolio has been designed with the same philosophy. Cassette flooring systems adapt to virtually any temporary structure, offering static load ratings up to 500kg/m² with a choice of finishes including anti-slip phenolic plywood and external decking options. Compact flooring provides the same engineering quality while reducing storage and transport volume by more than half, making it particularly suitable for locations where access and logistics are a priority. Modular steps, ramps, walkways and aluminium balustrades integrate into the system, creating complete visitor routes that satisfy regulatory requirements while maintaining a consistent, professional appearance.

Because every project is different, FloorStak also works collaboratively with customers to develop bespoke engineering solutions, from manufacturing established customer designs through to complete concept, design verification and production programmes for unique temporary structures.

As events continue to become larger, more technically sophisticated and increasingly experience-led, the unseen engineering beneath them is playing an ever greater role in their success.

Visitors may remember the atmosphere, the architecture and the occasion itself. Contractors remember how efficiently a site came together. Venue owners appreciate how seamlessly a location was transformed.

It all begins with the ground beneath their feet.

“Our ambition has always been to remove the limitations that terrain can place on temporary structures,” concludes Whitehouse. “When customers know they can build safely, efficiently and professionally almost anywhere, it opens up entirely new possibilities for the events they create.”