EADS ETL
3 October 2011
Airbus is a key supporter of the EADS Technology Licensing initiative – providing a major source of technologies for licensing opportunities, while also being open to benefit from the technology evolution achieved by its licensees.
“We fully understand the potential multiplication factor of technology licensing,” explained Axel Krein, the Senior Vice President of Research & Technology at Airbus. “Such activity generates revenue that Airbus can apply back into its own research and technology activities, while the companies who license our technologies will be able to develop them further – opening a feedback loop that could enable Airbus to improve our own use of the technology, or reduce overall costs in the technology’s use.”
In addition to technology licensing prospects with companies in the aviation sector – including Airbus’ extensive supply chain – Krein said it also is important to reach non-aerospace users, whose use of the technologies can accelerate innovations back into aerospace.
Technology transfer fertilizes innovation in non-aerospace application and also accelerates innovations in the aerospace sector.
Airbus technologies available through licensing include composites and composite-related processes for such industries as wind energy, while metallic and related manufacturing technologies are well suited for the automotive and transportation sectors.
Among the EADS Technology Licensing initiative’s successes to date is Airbus’ Avionics Full DupleX Switched Ethernet (AFDX®), which is an inter-system communication network developed for such new-generation aircraft as the A380, A400M and A350 XWB. Licensees that have signed up for access to AFDX technology include a provider of embedded software, systems and network products for mission and safety-critical systems; along with a solutions supplier in the field of time-triggered computer systems.
“Technology is in our genes – it is part of our DNA, and has been a key to Airbus’ leadership role during the past 40 years,” Krein concluded. “Looking to the future, technology will continue to be a prerequisite for our success.”
• Learn more about the EADS Technology Licensing initiatives’ achievements and activities with the archived news stories.
