Joint venture contract to assist subcontractors involved in the Airbus A380 project

Joint venture contract to assist subcontractors involved in the Airbus A380 projectKeywords:EADS Matra Datavision, EADS Cimpa, Airbus

EADS Matra Datavision and EADS Cimpa, key parts of the international EADS group, have signed a joint venture contract, backed by Airbus. This contract will benefit companies within the aeronautics extended enterprise worldwide who wish to participate in the latest Airbus project, the A380 wide-bodied commercial aircraft.

Under this contract, EADS Matra Datavision and EADS Cimpa will use their experience, skills and expertise to offer a range of common services built on the successive versions of "ACE" (Airbus Concurrent Engineering).

"This contract is an important stop in the policy of active commercial cooperation with CIMPA which we have been pursuing for two years," comments Andy Burton, strategic accounts manager for EADS Matra Datavision in the UK."Backing from Airbus shows that they have confidence in this relationship and recognise the capabilities that we have acquired as partners involved in major international projects to implement concurrent engineering".

To ensure the continuity of the services provided by all subcontractors, and successful completion of key stages of the project, Airbus continues to set up uniformly shared tools and methods, known as "ACE" versions. Encouraged by the success of the A3401500 and A340/600 programs, and in order to meet the ambitious objectives of the A380 program, Airbus is stressing its willingness to share its ACE versions which will have to be applied and observed by subcontractors throughout the development of the new program. In this context,the coventured agreement has been designed to assist with the implementation of the ACE versions and help subcontractors use them successfully.