Industry experts identify innovation for aerospace transformation

The leaders – members of an advisory board for next year’s Global Aerospace Summit in Abu Dhabi – say the engines behind innovation will be globalisation, automated manufacturing, heightened connectivity and break-neck speed technological advancements. 

Jeff Johnson, president, Boeing Middle East, said that major breakthroughs will drive the industry over the next 10 years. He added that for organisations like Boeing it will be about getting more for less and breaking the cost curve. For Johnson, the key questions facing the 1,000 invited industry leaders due at the Summit next March are the use of new materials, the impact of automation, increased platform commonality and how open avionics can drive capabilities while the platforms keep costs down. 

Johnson said: “We will continue to see manufacturing overseas and we believe we’ve got a great strategy here. The government of the UAE has planned where it wants to go with aerospace manufacturing and space. You go over to India and they have a ‘Make in India’ strategy so I think we are going to see manufacturing and tech transfer that will drive globalisation in the next 10 years.” 

David P. Hess, senior vice president, aerospace business development, United Technologies, pinpointed increased productivity and workforce development as transformational areas. 

Hess added: “A good example of this is the new automated assembly line that we have developed to build our new gear tripod fan family of engines. With the new assembly line we have roughly 30% more productivity that we had with the old method of manufacturing engines. So it’s innovations like that, not just in design but in manufacturing technology, that allows us to be more productive.” 

Chafik Hilal, managing director Middle East, Rockwell Collins explained the aerospace industry has always been a catalyst for innovative strategies and technology and an engine for economic growth but highlighted future challenges including costs, the development rate time and even the life of the air planes. 

Hilal said: “One of the things that will take this to the next level is connectivity. Right now passengers want the ability to arrive and transit through the airport and get in the air as fast as they can and this is part of the innovation I can see for the future – connectivity - where they get in and in a very short time are flying. And once they are on the flight they want to be connected like they were on the ground. This is a very exciting time and we will see it in the very near future.” 

Hosted by Mubadala Development Company and organised by Streamline Marketing Group (SMG), the Summit will run at Abu Dhabi National Exhibition Centre on March 7 and 8.