AIRBUS - 2020 Universal Registration Document
1. Information on the Company’s Activities / 1.1 Presentation of the Company
Connectivity The 5G Air-To-Ground (“ ATG ”) antenna alpha prototype was successfully developed. A beta prototype and ight test is planned 2021. BizLab Airbus BizLab is the aerospace accelerator where start-ups and the Company’s intrapreneurs speed up the transformation of innovative ideas into valuable businesses. The “cohort” of start- ups and intrapreneurs must quickly identify an internal Airbus customer, develop the terms for a proof-of-concept and deliver everything within a six-month period. Start-ups and internal projects benefit from access to the Company’s coaches and experts in various domains, and participate in events such as a “demo-day” with the Company’s decision makers, customers and partners. In 2019, Airbus BizLab signed a contract with the Indian start-up “Traxof Technologies” to automate the talent acquisition process for Airbus’ Information Management organisations in India and Europe and the VR-Pilot Flight Training Solution (“ VRnam ”) was acquired by the Company. The solution allows trainees pilots to learn and practice ows and procedures in an immersive 3D cockpit. Complemented by Airbus simulation competencies, it replaces cockpit simulator time and offers remote training based on an hourly-rate business model. The internal project “Geotrend” was spun out and is now a start-up, counting more than 25% of France’s CAC 40 index companies as customers of the service. Geotrend is a market and competitive intel l igence solution based on ar tif icial intelligence that originated within the Company’s Defence and Space Division. Internal projects in 2019 included “F!t”, a software solution that provides insight on the future of air traffic using big data, artificial intelligence and scenario-based models. Additionally, the Crowdcraft project implemented by the Airbus’s General Procurement department is a crowdsourcing and crowd staffing platform, which rapidly finds solutions to technical challenges for leveraging worldwide talent. The solutions have reduced cost and work time through more efficient and compliant means for procurement buyers to access goods and services. The “Flight Operations Data 2.0” project has been transferred to “NavBlue” for commercialisation of the end-to-end solution for ight operation data. Airbus (Commercial Aircraft) In response to the COVID-19 crisis, the R&T activity for Airbus’ commercial aircraft business was refocused on zero emission technologies for next generation aircraft, as well as other aircraft system technologies, including propulsion, wing, fuselage, cabin, and industrialisation as a transverse technology stream. The key achievements in the area of zero-emission technologies include both hydrogen combustion and hydrogen fuel cell technologies, for a highly efficient hybrid-electric propulsion system. Different approaches to integrating the liquid hydrogen storage and distribution system have been considered and will continue to be addressed in 2021. To further explore the possibilities of fuel cell propulsion systems for aviation, the Company has entered into a strategic partnership with a key fuel cell system and component supplier. This partnership will enable
co-developing and co-validating aviation-compatible fuel cell stacks. One specific configuration being investigated, amongst others, is the “pod” option of installing stand-alone fuel-cell propulsion systems based on hydrogen fuel cell technology. In the wing technology area, the high-rate, low-cost wing technologies needed for next generation aircraft have continued to progress during 2020 into the industrial phase. Full size Wing Demonstrators are now in manufacture at a component level, involving Airbus plants across Europe and partners globally. The Industrial System for the assembly of the demonstrators is being installed and the first demonstrator is expected to start the assembly phase in the middle of 2021. The other main areas of technology development in 2020 include supporting the continuous improvement of Single-Aisle and A350 aircraft. Within industrial systems, more robotics are being deployed across the plants, as are in-process digital feedback and veri f ication. Technologies reducing the Company’s environmental footprint and enabling a more circular economy are also at the heart of the portfolio. Airbus Helicopters Despite the crisis, R&T activities made good technical progress in the key streams (Flagship and Safety) which were selected as priority. Key milestones have been achieved for agship. The delivery by partners of RACER ight components started and the assembly will be completed by the middle of 2021. The first ight is now planned for the second half of 2022. From a technology brick perspective, solutions are also in R&T- R&D transition. Light Helicopters HUMS ight demonstration is in preparation on the H130 Flight Lab. The Rotor Strike Alerting System has successfully passed its TRL6 stage and its supplemental technical certificate agreement has been signed with a supplier (NSE company) ahead of in-service deployment. Electrical components of the engine back-up system for the H130 helicopter were delivered and their ight clearance started for a first ight at the beginning of 2021. A new concept of lead lag dampers for heavy helicopters has been demonstrated on the ground and the performance assessment will continue in ight in 2021. From a programme point of view, the crisis confirmed the priorities already defined. Robust roadmaps based on realistic vision have been set out for mid- and long-term outcomes, namely: CO 2 and noise emission reduction, autonomy and automatisation, artificial intelligence, urban mobility. Airbus Defence and Space In 2020, the challenging economic situation led to a review of the overall R&T Portfolio of projects for the Company’s Defence and Space Division. This exercise of prioritisation was done under the premises of maintaining our core capabilities, focusing only on those technologies that are required for adoption in key products. The optimisation of the portfolio also offered the opportunity to revise the links between R&T and R&D, and reinforce themwhere necessary, as well as to restructure the way that the Division addresses its technologies and the link between technology and product. The new portfolio is arranged using the concept of
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Airbus / Registration Document 2020
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