EADS ETL
24 June 2011
The EADS Technology Licensing initiative has wrapped up a highly successful presence at the 2011 Paris Air Show, which included the signing of new agreements with international industrial partners, followed by a seminar on key EADS technologies available for licensing – which was attended by a capacity audience.
Contracts and letters of intent (LOIs) inked at Le Bourget Airport during a series of signing ceremonies at the biennial air show covered areas such as friction stir welding techniques and light metal alloys, along with composite manufacturing processes.
Several of these agreements will be supported by EADS engineering packages arranged through the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, and certain accords extend beyond the company’s traditional aerospace industry partners into the automotive and supply chain sectors.
Wulf Hoeflich, who leads the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, said one trend that was evident at the 2011 Paris Air Show is the continued interest in metallic technologies – especially those related to new-generation alloys and their production processes.
“This is a strong indication that advanced aluminium alloys and metallic materials still have a strong future in aerospace, despite the recent movement to more composite-intensive aircraft,” he explained. “I’m quite sure there will be a reasonable balance between both metallics and composites, depending on the specific applications.”
Another trend confirmed at the Paris Air Show is the strong demand for technologies from Asian companies, particularly those in India – which is one of three geographic regions for EADS technology licensing’s focus in 2011.
“India has clearly defined its ambition to evolve as a strong aerospace player, which has become a priority after the Indian government’s step to privatize the aerospace sector,” he added. “We now see a build-up in the Indian supply chain, which wants to become more capable and innovative – not only in supporting Indian aircraft programmes, but in the export market as well.”
- During his marketing seminar presentation, Airbus Senior Vice President of Research & Technology Axel Krein underscored his company’s support for the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, and highlighted how this outreach can benefit the licensees as well as Airbus.
During his marketing seminar presentation, Airbus Senior Vice President of Research & Technology Axel Krein underscored his company’s support for the EADS Technology Licensing initiative, and highlighted how this outreach can benefit the licensees as well as Airbus.
The EADS Technology Licensing initiative’s other major activity at Le Bourget was its marketing seminar, which outlined four major areas of technology licensing: opportunities available through Airbus innovation; advanced alloys, along with associated manufacturing technologies and processes from EADS Innovation Works; AFDX® network technologies from Airbus and EADS; and premium seating configurations, developed by Airbus.
This was the second such seminar at a Paris Air Show, and it attracted a standing-room-only audience representing companies from the aerospace, automobile, avionics, electronics, manufacturing, metallic and plastics sectors.
“I was very pleased with the active participation of EADS business units in this year’s seminar,” Hoeflich concluded. “Their role in the seminar, followed by the highly interesting dialog with attendees, underscores how our technologies not only can help licensees improve their own processes and develop business, but also how the licensees’ investment in industrialization and new applications can come back into the aerospace industry to the benefit of EADS.”
• Learn more about the EADS Technology Licensing initiatives’ achievements and activities with the archived news stories.
