EADS looking to take Australian innovation onboard future flights
July 2011
There is no room for error when your flagship product can carry 550 people at 900 km/h and sets new benchmarks for aircraft engineering and passenger comfort. Research and technology (R&T) and innovation become an integral part of your business.
This is the commercial reality for EADS, the European parent company of civil aircraft manufacturer Airbus – proud developer of the A380. EADS and Airbus protect their reputation and prepare for the future by investing heavily in R&T.
In the world’s super-competitive aerospace industry, much of this research focuses on high-performance composite materials – a critical development area for overall product success. The world’s airlines want planes that are safe, light, kind on the environment and quiet. EADS’ research partnerships in Australia are helping the company to develop airframe design technology that meets these demands.
Fabrice Rochereau, CEO of EADS Australia Pacific, says EADS is so pleased with its local research results on advanced composite materials that Australian intellectual property (IP) is being considered for the next generation of Airbus passenger planes and in some of EADS’ military aircraft.
In 2010, EADS Australia Pacific joined the Melbourne-based Cooperative Research Centre for Advanced Composites Structures (CRC-ACS) – one of the world’s leading composites research organisations. The partnership includes 28 international and Australian companies, government research labs and universities.
EADS and Airbus are funding the CRC-ACS to develop a new assembly process which should bring significant cost reductions in assembling a passenger airliner. When mature, Rochereau says this process – thermoset composite welding (TCW) – will be a candidate to manufacture the new Airbus airliners by 2020.
“For 15 years we have had contracts with CRC-ACS and each time they delivered on time, on budget and on quality,” Rochereau says. “We find with CRC-ACS – and this is characteristic of Australia – that we get high quality product and R&D outcomes.
“The composite manufacturing process we are developing may be used for the next Airbus airliners. This is Australian IP we are financing. We use composite materials in all our flying products and this specific manufacturing process is a very promising activity for us.”
High-tech skills on tap and $21 billion in orders
EADS is a leader in advanced aerospace and defence manufacturing. In 2010, the group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of €45.8 billion and employed a workforce of nearly 122,000.
 |
|
An Australian Air Force KC-30 MRTT made by
Airbus Military and completed in Qantas facilities in
Brisbane. Image courtesy of EADS
|
While the Australian Defence Force and commercial aviation companies are customers of EADS, Australia is also home to EADS manufacturing sites.
Australian Aerospace, a wholly-owned subsidiary of Eurocopter, manufactures state-of-the-art military and civil helicopters. With more than 1,000 employees, the company assembles armed and multi-role helicopters for the Australian Army and Navy at its production facility in Brisbane.
“Our original decision to invest here was based on Australia being a good commercial market for our products,” says Rochereau. “We also believed that a base here would give us some advantages over our US competitors. That strategy has proven correct. We have logged about A$21 billion worth of contracts in Australia since 2000.
“But beyond the commercial opportunities, we discovered exceptional skills in Australia – people who are highly educated, technically proficient and outcome-driven. The interesting change for EADS is that along with our commercial success, we can find the skills we need in Australia to develop world-class, high-tech products.”
A partnership that continues to grow stronger
EADS has made many diversified investments in Australia and the company is now integrating Australian manufacturing into its global supply chain.
“Because Australian SMEs are involved in such world-class activities we are highlighting them to our procurement people,” says Rochereau.
“We are working with about 15 Australian SMEs, including Cablex in Melbourne. Cablex produces cables for aircraft, which is not a simple business. In some new military aircraft 65 kilometres of cable is used. Only the highest quality, skilled professionals can do this work. Cablex has been so good we are now using them in an international project.”
With 27 per cent of Australia’s labour force born overseas,1 Rochereau also emphasises Australia’s multicultural population as an ingredient of EADS’ innovative approach to business.
“This is a big strength for us,” he says. “We employ more than 60 nationalities in Australia. This helps us to develop a very open-minded company, which is part of how innovation happens.
“Of course, we have a multicultural workforce in Europe but it is more Euro-centric. The mix of cultures we have in Australia is much broader.”
As president of the French-Australian Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Rochereau is often asked about the Australian business environment by European companies. His reply is always the same.
“From a northern hemisphere perspective, Australia seems far away but don’t be put off by the distance. You will be rewarded many times over by the quality of the people and their work.”
How Austrade helped EADS
Austrade worked with Eurocopter on its initial investment in Queensland in 2002 to establish a helicopter manufacturing site, and again in 2006, when the company made a second investment to establish a composite manufacturing facility.
Austrade continues to work with EADS to help the company integrate Australian capabilities into its global supply chain and link them to Australian universities to enhance collaboration and research commercialisation.
Download a PDF version
1. Australian Bureau of Statistics, Cat. No. 6105.0 (May 2010) and 3412.0 (2008).
More information
|