The 52nd edition of the Paris Air Show 2017
Le Bourget – Paris The 52nd edition of the Paris Air Show (PAS) took place from 19 – 25 June 2017, and will not be easily forgotten. With temperatures up to 37 degrees Celsius, this was the hottest show – not only because of the Aerial Demonstration Debut of the F-35. After tons of Dutch cheeses, Heinekens and fresh Herring, the NAG would like to say thanks to all the visitors of the Holland Pavilion and special thanks to the participants of the Holland Pavilion.
IN GENERAL
Happy Hours were held at the Holland Pavilion every day from 16.00 to 18.00 and were well attended. Especially the Holland High Tech VIP Reception on Tuesday! Various delegations attended the reception, which made it an excellent networking event.
The Dutch Ambassador in France, Ed Kronenburg, will start working in Peking this summer. His making contact with many Chinese organizations will increase the cooperation with China in an efficient manner. The annual Wednesday-evening NAG barbecue took place at the Residence of the Ambassador. It provided the participants and other NAG members with good networking opportunities.
A diversity of conversations took place at the Holland Pavilion concerning the F-35 project. The conversations were led by the Director DMO VADM – Mr. A. J. de Waard.
MEMBER NEWS
The members of the NAG had a good week in Paris. On Wednesday were two signings at the Holland Pavilion. Brabant Development Agency (BOM) negotiated the coming of Intech DMLS to Eindhoven. Intech DMLS is an established 3D-metal printing service provider from India. They announced that they will establish a design and manufacturing center for Additive Manufacture in Eindhoven.
The second signing at the Holland Pavilion was between Airborne Services and Boeing. The companies signed a licensing agreement for the maintenance and repair of Apache Helicopter rotor blades. The signing allows Airborne to complement Logistiek Centrum Woensdrecht (LCW) with additional MRO capabilities for Apache main rotor blades.
Not on the Holland Pavilion, but important for future business between the Netherlands and China, is the signing of the MoU between Netherlands Aerospace Center (NLR), Chinese Aeronautical Establishment (CAE) and German-Dutch Wind Tunnels (DNW). CAE and NLR are going to explore the possibilities for cooperation in the field of aviation technology based on the agreements between China and the EU and between China and the Netherlands. CAE and DNW agreed to strengthen their numerical and experimental aerodynamic capabilities by conducting benchmarking activities building on the success of the first phase of the project.
NAG NEWS
The NAG team visited many events and meetings during the PAS, such as The European Cluster Matchmaking Event hosted by the ECCP. The objective of the seminar was to share information, especially focusing on Aerospace cross cluster experiences and opportunities and to foster cross-sectoral collaborations.
The European Aerospace Cluster Partnership (EACP) organized the first Global Aerospace Cluster Manager Meeting. There were around 60 participants to this event. The overall objective is to initiate a discussion for the build-up of a global network in which all Aerospace cluster managers are linked through more efficient and faster communication paths.
Thierry Rouge-Carrasat – Zodiac Aerospace Chief Technical Officer, had a meeting with seven NAG members where they had the opportunity to pitch their innovations and ambitions towards Zodiac. This meeting was initiated by the NAG Board and it has led to the visit of the CTO of Zodiac to the Netherlands in September.
Another event supported by the NAG Board was the Meet and Greet with the Vice President of UTC Aerospace Systems, Sarfraz Nawaz, and NAG members. This Meet and Greet also gave the NAG members the opportunity to pitch their innovations.
The PAS was again very interesting and intriguing for the Dutch industry. The biggest Airshow in 2018 will take place in Farnborough from 16-22 July 2018. The NAG soon will inform its members about the possibilities to participate at the Holland Pavilion.