Technology leadership in aerospace is only achieved with government funding
Technology leadership in aerospace is only achieved with government funding
Keywords: Aerospace industry
While the United States dominates the world of aerospace technology in a number of areas, state funding is enabling industry in other countries to achieve technology leadership or parity.
This is one of the key findings of “Who pays, who wins – trends in government funding of aerospac'e, a newly published survey by Counterpoint Market Intelligence, which looks at policies, trends, programmes, mechanisms and beneficiaries in the civil and military sectors of the 20 major aerospace nations.
The report states that although the US leads in areas such as defence fixed wing, UAVs/UCAVs, commercial airliner fuselages, airborne radar, EW and forgings and castings, Europe is the technology leader in civil helicopters and is level pegging in commercial airliner wings, civil and military aero engines,composites, undercarriages and military integrated cockpits.
These technology leadership positions were not achieved unaided. Europe has majored on Repayable Launch Investment, the US on other forms of support but whatever the mechanism, companies do not get there by themselves.
The report identifies the state funding success stories, such as Canada,which currently claims the world's fourth largest aerospace industry after the US, UK and France. Canadian industry includes the manufacture of regional,business and rotary wing aircraft, and also aero engines and major equipment such as landing gear.
A further example is Italy, which has developed a leading position within Europe in the manufacture of composite fuselages following its success on the B787. The Italian government is supporting this development through state funding of e200m. Composites are increasingly in demand for their ability to save weight and therefore cost, and increase structural performance.
Spain is another country that has applied state aid in a focused and consistent way to build a world-class industry in composites. To date, and in contrast to the Canadian experience, the beneficiaries have been Spanish- owned companies.
The report also looks at ways in which those seeking funding can optimise their chances of success, citing the need to show that state investment would create high technology jobs, productivity growth, greater economic growth for the country or region than would otherwise have been the case, and a spill-over of benefits into other sectors of the economy.
Counterpoint Director, George Burton, said, “Our researches revealed one factor that was common to virtually all nations – whatever their policy on government funding, everyone thinks that their competitors in other countries receive more favourable support. Even GIFAS, the French aerospace trade association, wants to see a level playing field to allow French companies to be able to compete on an equal footing”.
Trends in Government Funding of Aerospace costs £2,000 and is available from Counterpoint Market Intelligence, web site www.cpmil.com
