Midlands Aerospace Alliance (UK)
We believe that our aerospace cluster has a great deal to gain by participating in the TranNetAero project, so we were keen to help to plan the project from its early days in 2011 and we offered to take a leading role in one of the project's three work packages. With the European Union funding half our costs we can afford afford to invest the time and effort required to make TransNetAero produce real results for our cluster's 300 member companies during its three years, and we can lay foundations for longer-term collaboration.
From our perspective, the basic idea behind TransNetAero is to help our smaller supply chain companies access knowledge and business and technology networks they would not be able to access otherwie, at the heart of other European aerospace clusters - especially clusters that are smaller or less prominent than Toulouse, Hamburg or Northwest England.
The most exciting aspect of Work Package 1 for us is that it helps Midlands Aerospace suppliers learn about market trends and business and technology opportunities in industry sectors that are not our strengths, where we do not have a leading player within our own region. Good examples where TransNetAero Partners excel with leading companies and technology institutions are the maintenance, repair and overhaul sector of the Netherlands, the the space industry of Wallonia in Belgium, and the general aviation sector in Switzerland.
The skills development work that that lies at the heart of Work Package 2, led by the German Aerospace Academy, will help our cluster's smaller companies and teaching institutions learn new ways to develop the technical and managerial skills of the future. Because this is not an area of cluster development expertise for the MAA, we have much to learn from our European partners.
The meetings and workshops each partner is organising within Work Package 3 under the leadership of the dynamic aerospace clusters of northwest France are already giving our companies a unique opportunity to see inside the heart of another European aerospace cluster and meet the key players, while this workstream's comparative cluster development work will benchmark good practice and help the MAA do its job better in the future.
For the long term, we believe the TransNetAero project has truly ambitious objectives that will open fresh horizons for many MAA members organisations. We intend to use the strong links we are creating between the MAA itself and like-minded partner organisations in other European clusters as a foundation for our companies to do the same with customers, technology institutes and other partner organisations elsewhere in Europe.
CESI (FR)
For two years, the CESI develops a research activity focused on industrial performance and innovation. Its aim is to develop new tools to help SMEs grow and be more competitive. For instance, the research activities of the CESI include the development of sustainable skills and regional work forces to give access to cutting edges productions knowledge and above all to provide SMEs with adapted innovation leverages.
On the other hand, the TransNetAero Work Package 3 can be divided into two distinct activities: the organization of B2B events, and to suggest a roadmap for SMEs performance and innovation.
B2B events are an opportunity to for SMEs to share their experience and to compare their activities with others. They have the opportunity to enrich their activity and therefore to become more competitive. The analysis of different interactions fostered by this project would help to prepare a roadmap identifying which type of opportunity would ease innovation.
Working on Work Package 3, the CESI would directly apply the results of its research in order to indentify the barriers which handicap SMEs to grow, build a frame to help SMEs to be more innovative and propose some solution. This approach is in perfect agreement with the new French program aiming at helping SMEs to foster innovation and to be more involved in collaborative projects. The CESI can hence relate the experience gathered by not only French clusters, but also other European clusters, in order to diffuse examples of good practices for instance, or identify which key actions undertaken in Europe could benefits clusters. This work package has an important role to play in creating conditions conducive for the ongoing sustainability and strengthen the TranNetAero "trademark".
CSL Centre Spatial de Liège (BE)
CSL is among the world-leading institutes for space technology research and testing. Specialized in optics, most of the CSL activities are focused on applications and payloads involving optical elements, detectors, metrology and space-testing equipments. Being a Research Center of the University of Liege, CSL is in direct contact with networks of various competencies, making it an efficient partner for a wide range of research and technology projects.
Being also deeply involved with industrial partnerships, CSL offers a set of various services for space industry but also for local and European industry, using the equipments and the know-how acquired for space activities. Ranging from pure R&D consultancy to customized development projects, or testing of equipments, CSL is involved in a lot of applications based on the transfer of space technologies.
CSL is also hosting academic researchers, with several PhDs, internships, trainings and associated students. CSL participates to the Master of Space Sciences delivered by the University of Liege.
CSL participates in the different workpackages of TransNetaero:
- identification of supply chain and technological competences in Wallonia;
- with the support of SKYWIN (the Walloon Pole of Competitivity for Aeronautics and Space), collecting data through detailed interviews with a certain number of companies/research centers in Wallonia to identify technological problems, best practices and solution for problems
- Developing high level training modules in the fields of Space (Aerospace Engineering, Earth observation)
Additionally, CSL will provide its know-how and experience in technology transfer domains. Since the early 2000’s, CSL is developing technological applications derived from the know-how of space projects and tuned to industry needs or market needs. The start of these activities was funded by the Walloon Region. Today, CSL is offering many services and support for consultancy in a very wide field of applications, supported by regional, federal and European programs. By the way, through its space activities, CSL has accumulated high level instrumentation which is regularly set at the disposal of the industry.
With Wallonia Space Logistics (WSL), space incubator for young high-tech companies, CSL has organised a mechanism of spin-off development for the products issued from the space research. This experience is useful in TransNetAero project for helping to define an assessment of potential cooperation and drawing-up the specifications.
NAG Netherlands Aerospace Group (NL)
The Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG) is the Dutch national association for the aerospace industry. More than 95% of the actors in aerospace in the Netherlands are member of this association. This enables the NAG to act as representative to the national and European bodies. The members of the NAG expect three main functions: the representation to all stakeholders, second to enhance the knowledge in specific areas and thirdly the international positioning of the members. The NAG has the mission to improve the competitive position of its members. This is mainly done by improving the capabilities, stimulating cooperation and making them visible on the international market. To ensure the availability of sufficient qualified personnel, the NAG is committed to align the companies needs and education.
More than 50 % of the NAG members are SMEs. We believe that throughout the TNA activities the NAG SMEs will be able to identify new business, knowledge and initiate technologies exchange with the other TNA partners SMEs and stakeholders.
Via TNA we foresee the set-up of a new knowledge and network platform especially for the need of the employees of the SMEs, which finally will result into initiating more business and innovation collaborations. The NAG expertise of organizing events will be brought into the TNA project also.
Committed cooperation, that is our strength and opportunity. Cooperation among the industrial players and cooperation between industry and centers of excellence. But also cooperation between the Nord West regions, in order to assure a concerted approach to players in the international market.
Another field where cooperation is required is the continuous innovation to stay ahead of our competitors. Innovation programs on national or international scale should always be open for all SME’s in NW Europe in order to efficiently obtain the best results by combining the available nice expertise’s. And of course it is undoubtedly one of the main conditions: the availability of a skilled workforce. The TNA Work package 2 contributes significantly to the required modern knowledge of personnel within the NW European aerospace SME’s. It strengthens the footprint of the NW Europe aerospace clusters proposition to the global market.
And finally it brings new opportunities to the members of the TNA. Like many other members, NAG is sharing its international network with other members to enable them to identify knowledge and business opportunities. This is the true meaning of being a NWE cluster player. And therefore NAG is proud to participate in such a professional project within the Interreg IV B.
Swiss Aerospace Cluster (CH)
The Swiss Aerospace Cluster aims at connecting the Swiss Aerospace Industry. With the TransNetAero Project the cluster gets the chance to research more into its own strength in comparison with other European aerospace clusters. TransNetAero enables to set up international collaborations within Europe and by this open doors towards new partnerships for Swiss aerospace companies.
This is of very high interest to the Swiss aerospace industry, as it is an industry which is very international and export oriented. The different economic challenges of the past years including the problematic development of the exchange rates between the Swiss Franc and the Euro and US Dollar, have supported the understanding of international networks and collaboration in the aerospace industry in Switzerland.
In addition TransNetAero sets up an Aerospace Master Program. There is no such program in Switzerland, but according to our research, to find qualified personnel is the number one issue for managers of the aerospace industry. We are glad to be able to support and influence the new European Aerospace Master Program which is of high relevance for our industry.
Work Package 1: Ensure Europe’s smaller aerospace supply chain companies have strategic business plans and technology roadmaps ready for the era of global competition
What are the objectives of this work package?
This work package has two objectives. First, it will accelerate smaller aerospace suppliers in the participating clusters on a journey to making their capabilities available to customers across Europe and globally. It is therefore a bridge towards these companies accessing global, as well as European, value chains. Second, it will introduce suppliers to European technology centres of excellence which can help them develop technology roadmaps as an excellent foundation for companies to participate in future transnational R&D programmes.
We will use the specialist knowledge, networks, and skills of the business and technology organisations in each cluster that are leading TransNetaero to:
- Expose aerospace suppliers from the partner regions to directly useful market and R&D knowledge opportunities from across Europe.
- Inject transnational knowledge from a wider set of potential research and industry centres of excellence than is available in the local “comfort zones” of these suppliers.
- Help create new transnational strategic business plans and technology roadmaps for these supply chain companies that incorporate technology forecasts and customer requirements that incorporate broader European outlooks -- not just local.
- Create a foundation for accessing global, as well as European, value chains by encouraging smaller aerospace suppliers on a path to making their capabilities available to customers internationally.
- Jointly introduce suppliers to the best and most appropriate technology centres of excellence which can help them develop their technology roadmaps.
- Create an excellent foundation for companies to participate in future European R&D programmes - addressing the perennial problem of low SME participation.
- Develop the foundations of a permanent transnational aerospace super-cluster among the participating regions.
Why is this work important to Europe’s aerospace industry?
Despite the globalisation of large aerospace companies, many smaller aerospace suppliers remain regionally -- or at best nationally -- focused. Those suppliers located outside traditionally prominent aerospace clusters like Toulouse, Hamburg or North West England tend to have less knowledge and fewer networks available to them in their local clusters. TransNetAero is a well structured programme that will make available to smaller suppliers precise customer requirements and technology forecasts that draw on a wealth of aerospace industry and technology centre sources across Europe – much greater than is normally available in the local “comfort zones” of many smaller suppliers. Such companies will therefore be able to improve their strategic business plans and technology roadmaps and therefore their future global competitiveness.
How do SMEs will benefit Work Package 3?
WP3 will establish the structural frame for collaboration between the project partners and their environments. The partners will showcase the SMEs they are in contact with, their local aerospace industry and technology centres in order to match other partners needs and to create business or technological based relationships.
In parallel, cluster theories have in recent years been a well-known approach to develop the local industry and to improve the competitiveness of SMEs. They provide a fertile business environment for SMEs, to collaborate with research institutions, suppliers, customers and competitors located in the same geographical area. Nowadays, new research has led to discussions on the extend to how cluster can promote and ease the access to innovation for small companies.
However, innovation remains a holistic concept, but where networking and sharing are essentials. Innovation platforms gather these initiatives, but recent approaches like open-innovation and cross-fertilisation still need structural approaches to be implemented in cluster organisation. To do so, the first goal of WP3 will be to identifying best practices among European clusters. Then, based on the knowledge of each cluster, its structure, motivations and interactions, one can analyse the processes which lead to successful initiatives in term of innovation and competitiveness.
Knowing this process would allow the TransNetAero partners to point to SMEs which lever they can use to foster innovation in their context. In a more general way, a guideline to promote innovation will be defined based on the practice and experience of each cluster.