Innovation

Innovation has a vital role to play in sustaining the Group’s competitive position and in enabling it to achieve its Vision 2020 goals. Driven and coordinated by the Corporate Technical Office (CTO), EADS’ research and technology activities in 2010 recorded significant achievements, with a specific emphasis on the environment.

Strong commitment to technology investment has led to the development of successful products such as the Ariane 5.

Acting as the focal point for research and technology (R&T) across the Group, the CTO is working to support EADS Vision 2020 targets by setting and executing R&T strategy, globalising activities in the R&T field and ensuring that people at the Company have the required level of expertise to master future technology challenges.
 

Self-financed research and development spending – which includes product development – remained roughly stable as a proportion of Group revenues, at 6.4%. The budget of Innovation Works, CTO’s global network of laboratories for strategic long-term research, remained at a stable level.
In 2010, CTO recorded major achievements above all in the areas of green mobility and efficient manufacturing processes.

TECHNOLOGY ADVANCES

EADS aims to maintain its position as the global number one in aerospace patents, and in 2010, the Group filed a total of 1,007 new patents. Over the last six years, EADS’ portfolio has doubled in size to more than 9,000 patents.

EADS’ technologies have a range of applications not only within aerospace. For example, many wind turbine blades use an efficient fibre-composite manufacturing method originally developed at EADS research facilities and Cassidian. The Group is offering select intellectual property to other companies through licensing agreements

Technology development has a focus on reducing environmental
impact. Turbofan engines reduce perceived noise levels for commercial aircraft.

GREEN MOBILITY

EADS is supporting the development of biofuels to make aircraft more environmentally friendly. Biofuels are considered carbon-neutral as their feedstock consumes CO2 when growing. Algae are seen to be a promising potential feedstock, as certain species contain high levels of oil and cultivation does not compete with food production. Microalgae reproduce rapidly and create at least 30 times more organic substance (biomass) per cultivation area than, for example, rapeseed.

In 2010, EADS achieved the world’s first flights of an aircraft powered by pure biofuel made from algae, using a Diamond DA42 twin-propeller plane.

Advances were also achieved in the field of electrical and hybrid propulsion. The all electric Cri-Cri aircraft, jointly developed by EADS Innovation Works, Aero Composites Saintonge and the Green Cri-Cri Association made its official maiden flight in 2010.

The aerobatic plane incorporates numerous innovative technologies such as lightweight composite structures and electric motors which deliver propulsion without CO2 emissions.

Helicopters with hybrid diesel-electric propulsion systems that reduce fuel consumption and emissions by up to 50% were showcased at the UK’s Farnborough Air Show in July 2010.

OUTLOOK

In 2010, the Corporate Technical Office aims to continue driving breakthrough technologies in strategic fields such as eco-efficiency,and to extend its leading position in aerospace patents.

PEOPLE

The EADS Lean Six Sigma programme (formerly EADS Black Belt programme) aims to train 3% of the EADS population by 2014 in continuous improvement techniques, and to embed the principles of Lean and Six Sigma in the businesses. In 2010, 786 employees were certified through the programme including 56 trained as Black Belts, achieving savings of over €37 million. CTO is collaborating with the Group’s Human Resources function in order to support experts’ careers and PhD candidates, as well as identifying future key competences and skills.
To support the Group’s globalisation strategy, the number of staff at EADS research centres in Bangalore, India and Singapore was increased.