A new initiative designed to pool composites expertise may lead to the creation of an industrial centre of excellence in a bid to keep Europe at the vanguard of next-generation aerostructures.
Industry organisations Aerospace Valley (France), Farnborough Aerospace Consortium (UK) and Hanse Aerospace (Germany) are teaming up in the collaborative venture to respond to current and future demand for composite design and manufacturing capacity.
The objectives of The European Composite Partnership are to first examine available capacity in France, Germany and the UK before pursuing European and national funding opportunities to develop new design approaches, low-cost tooling, manufacturing and green disposal technologies in addition to developing essential workforce skills.
Ross Bradley of FAC says: "The aviation industry is critical both strategically and economically to the future of Europe. The engineering and scientific resources available to us must be maximised to ensure we not only retain the European share of this global market but strive to grow it as well."
Bradley says there a was an urgent need to address the European aerospace industry's lack of composite tooling capacity. "We are not going to create it overnight, but the major industrial demand risks not being met within Europe. Essentially, this is an unusual bottom-up approach where we are saying to Airbus, who we hope will own this, that this is something new and fresh and needs to be championed."
The initiative will appeal for a wide cross-sectoral support and will seek eastern European industrial involvement as well as international academic participation. "We are currently 'nickel and diming' it across Europe with our scarce resources. None of it is joined up."
An initial plan outlining what Bradley terms "solid deliverables" will be implemented by September.
Source: FlightGlobal.com
