Airbus enters strategic partnership with Dutch aerospace industry

6 April 2005

The European aircraft manufacturer Airbus and the Dutch aerospace industry have signed a multi-year partnership agreement in the field of research and technology development. The agreement expresses the intention that it will also lead to a further extension of the involvement of Dutch companies in the Airbus aircraft programmes. The agreement was signed today in Toulouse by Airbus President and CEO Noël Forgeard, by Maarten Schönfeld, CFO of Stork and by Jan Muller, Chairman of the Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG). The signing took place during a visit to Airbus by the Dutch Minister of Economic Affairs Laurens Jan Brinkhorst and the French delegated Minister of Industry Patrick Devedjian. Underlining its political significance, the agreement was also signed by both ministers.

The agreement is laid down in a Memorandum of Understanding, with the common aim of a long-term strategic partnership. This will be implemented in the form of a joint programme for knowledge and technology development with the express objective of leading to commercial applications in Airbus aircraft programmes such as the A380 and the A350. The jointly selected topics relate to materials (especially the continued development of Fiber Metal Laminates [Glare], Thermoplastics and Composites), knowledge engineering, future technologies and systems. Through this agreement Airbus confirms its recognition of the strong position of the Dutch aerospace industry in the area of advanced knowledge and technology, a recognition that has already been expressed by the high-level technological participation of the Dutch aerospace industry in the A380 programme. A unique element of this participation is the leading international position of the Dutch knowledge institutes (the Delft University of Technology, the Netherlands National Aerospace Laboratory NLR, and TNO, the Netherlands Organization for Applied Scientific Research), which in partnership with industry provide a strong drive for innovation.
 
Minister Brinkhorst intends to support the Dutch aerospace industry in this partnership, which is a good fit with the Dutch innovation and industrial policy. Before the summer he will announce the concrete implementation of the Dutch government's new aerospace policy.
 
The Dutch and French ministers stated that they regarded the links between Dutch industry and Airbus as an excellent step in the European Lisbon Strategy, aimed at increasing European competitive strength.

 

Press information:
NAG / Frank Jansen / Tel.: +31 (0)6 51 31 28 51
Economische Zaken / Gerard Westerhof / Tel.: +31 (0)70 379 70 79
Stork N.V. / Dick Kors / Tel.: +31 (0)35 695 75 75