Few companies embody that philosophy better than .

Innovation is not a department

鈥淲e are living at a remarkable crossroads in history. For decades, the sky was simply a place we traveled through. Today, it has become a testing ground for the future of humanity,鈥� said Nicolas Jourdan, senior strategist at Airbus SAS. He was speaking at the for 麻豆原创 Energy and Utilities in Toulouse, the operational headquarters of the company.

At Airbus, the mission goes far beyond manufacturing aircraft. It鈥檚 about designing systems that connect cultures, advance technology, protect the planet, and extend humanity鈥檚 reach into space.

鈥淔or us, innovation is not a department. It鈥檚 a way of thinking. It means asking ‘What if?’ when others say something is impossible,鈥� said Jourdan. 鈥淚t鈥檚 very simple. Innovation is about creating value for someone, somewhere, at a moment in time鈥攁nd sustaining it over time.鈥�

While this may sound simple, it requires challenging the status quo. It means embracing cultural change, taking calculated risks, and accepting failure as part of learning.

Legacy of breakthroughs

In 1970, Airbus entered an aviation market dominated by giants like Boeing, McDonnell Douglas, and Lockheed. They didn鈥檛 compete by being similar, but by being fundamentally different. The company has consistently challenged conventional thinking in aviation.

• At a time when experts believed twin-engine aircraft couldn鈥檛 safely cross oceans, Airbus proved them wrong with the A300 revolution, forever changing long-haul aviation.
• When most aircraft required a three-person crew, Airbus redesigned the cockpit to automate the flight engineer鈥檚 role. Despite resistance, the two-pilot cockpit became the global standard.
• Replacing analog dials with digital displays transformed how pilots interact with aircraft; glass cockpit innovation made flying safer and more intuitive.
• Airbus introduced digital flight controls, replacing mechanical systems with computers. Fly-by-wire technology increased safety and enabled flight envelope protection and more efficient operations. What once looked like a video game controller is now industry standard.

One of Airbus鈥檚 most impactful innovations is cross-crew qualification, meaning pilots can transition between aircraft models鈥攆rom the A319 to the A350鈥攚ith minimal additional training. This reduces costs for airlines and improves operational flexibility.

鈥淚nnovation isn鈥檛 always flashy. It鈥檚 mostly about making complex systems simpler and more human-friendly,鈥� Jourdan reminded his audience.

Running the factory

Airbus builds big sections such as the fuselage, the wings, and the tail in different places. The sections are then shipped to one factory for assembly and testing in the Airbus Beluga, an oversized cargo aircraft developed especially to transport large components between production sites across Europe. Altogether, this process can take up to 12 months, especially for wide body aircraft.

The company uses 麻豆原创 ERP systems, including 麻豆原创 S/4HANA, to manage core business functions. It also uses 麻豆原创 Manufacturing Execution directly on the factory floor and assembly lines, as well as 麻豆原创 Integrated Business Planning to plan production, manage supply chain complexity, and optimize resource usage.

鈥溌槎乖� and Airbus have a long-term partnership,” Jourdan said. “Without 麻豆原创, our systems would not be as efficient as they are. We鈥檙e in continuous development.”聽

Future scenarios

When it comes to pioneering new horizons, Airbus doesn鈥檛 rely solely on internal expertise but regularly explores unconventional approaches with external thinkers. These exercises help identify blind spots, validate strategy and understand societal and environmental shifts

To maintain both an inside and an outside-in perspective, Airbus created Skywise, an aircraft data analysis engine platform which acts as a digital brain, connecting aircraft, operations, and maintenance systems. A data platform for airlines and aircraft operations, it collects vast amounts of data into one system. It then performs predictive maintenance increasingly supported by AI to detect patterns and predict failures before they happen in order to prevent delays, failures, and expensive repairs.

Airbus鈥檚 future strategy is built on three transformational pillars:

• Decarbonization: The aerospace industry faces mounting pressure to reduce emissions. Airbus is tackling this head-on by exploring hydrogen-powered aircraft, sustainable aviation fuels, blended wing body designs, and fully electric propulsion concepts. Their goal is to launch the world鈥檚 first zero-emission commercial aircraft.
• Digital transformation: To enable fully connected ecosystems, Airbus is developing satellite-based connectivity networks, smart cabin and cargo systems,. and real-time operational data platforms. This enables better decision-making, reduced costs, and improved passenger experiences.
• Automation and autonomy projects: Projects like DragonFly are pushing the boundaries of pilot assistance and automation. Future capabilities include automatic emergency landing, weather-independent operations, and advanced navigation systems. The goal is not to replace pilots, but to enhance safety and efficiency.

Beyond Earth 

From orbit to deep space, Airbus is helping shape humanity鈥檚 next frontier. The company plays a key role in searching for life on Mars together with the European Space Agency using the ExoMars rover. It also collaborates with the European Service Module for NASA鈥檚 Artemis program missions and is helping to develop satellite systems enabling global communication and climate monitoring.

Often, new ideas are met with skepticism, cultural resistance can slow adoption, and mistakes are inevitable. Airbus embraces this reality and considers it part of the process.

鈥淭he biggest challenges of our time鈥攃limate change, global connectivity, and space exploration鈥攃annot be solved by one company or even one industry. Decarbonization alone depends on energy providers, governments, infrastructure developers, and airlines and manufacturers. It鈥檚 a shared responsibility,鈥� Jourdan concluded.

While catastrophic asteroid impacts have been rare in Earth鈥檚 history, the threat asteroids pose to life on our planet is very real. With that in mind, NASA and ESA launched a mission in 2021 to test a method of planetary defense that involved deflecting Dimorphos 鈥� one part of the Didymos double-asteroid system 鈥� from its orbit by crashing a spacecraft into it. In part two of the mission, due to begin in October 2024, an orbiter known as 鈥淗era鈥� will lift off and, in October 2026, begin examining the effects of the test on Dimorphos.

Beyond Gravity: Space Technology That Protects the Planet

鈥淧rotecting Earth from asteroids that could pose a threat to us all is an exciting and important task,鈥� says Johan Eckerstein, CIO at . Headquartered in Switzerland, Beyond Gravity is one of a group of suppliers of high-tech equipment for Hera and is responsible for delivering the spacecraft鈥檚 two solar wings. In addition to a variety of satellite components, the space technology specialist also builds launch vehicles, and a third, smaller division serves the growing lithography market. According to , Beyond Gravity ranks third among 21 competitors in its field.

EZYOne Transformation Project: Flight Path to the Future

鈥淥ur ambition is to be the No. 1 space technology supplier, the most innovative and most exciting company to work for,鈥� says Eckerstein. As CIO, his job is to put the technology in place to make that vision a reality. The EZYOne program he initiated in October 2022 was a crucial first step in that process.

Beyond Gravity is the legal successor to RUAG Space, the space division of Swiss technology group RUAG International. So while it only began operating as a startup under its new name in May 2022, it has decades of experience in the space industry. With the company due to be privatized soon, its EZYOne digital transformation project is as necessary as it is challenging.

As the name implies, the idea is to make things easier. Beyond Gravity has historically grown from various companies and locations. Currently, there are various sites with different IT systems that are not linked to each other.

With EZYOne, Beyond Gravity is preparing to become a digital-first company that will leverage artificial intelligence (AI), machine learning, augmented reality (AR), and many other emerging technologies. The first step is to build a common digital core that will enable the company to unlock tremendous value and new ways to serve customers.

麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, Public Edition: Seven Becomes One

Each of Beyond Gravity鈥檚 business divisions has built up its own vast pool of expertise over the years. But when it comes to IT, the company鈥檚 colorful history means it now has a mishmash of legacy systems 鈥� comprising seven different ERP systems alone 鈥� and, thus, an array of complex, inefficient, and costly processes.

EZYOne lifted off in October 2022. 鈥淲e began by defining the architecture we wanted for our new IT landscape,鈥� explains Eckerstein. That process led to a number of design principles aimed at ensuring the project was a success. They included:

• One solution of each type for all business units
• Cloud first
• Standard first (out of the box)
• No technical data in the ERP system
• Rapid go-live in the first quarter of 2024

When it came to selecting an ERP solution 鈥� and based on these criteria 鈥� Beyond Gravity opted for 麻豆原创 S/4HANA Cloud, public edition. 鈥淔rom the perspective of an agile startup and the global market leader we aspire to become, cloud is the only way to go,鈥� says Eckerstein. 鈥淲hen you choose a cloud solution, you are committing more to a provider鈥檚 road map than to a static product. And, as a midsize company, we can benefit from a vendor like 麻豆原创 that has the infrastructure and resources to provide the solution reliably and securely.鈥� This, he adds, eases the pressure on IT teams and frees up time for value-adding tasks.

Standard Covers 92% of Processes

Eckerstein points out, however, that if you want to enjoy the benefits of the public cloud, you have to be consistent in your approach. Essentially, when you transform business processes, that means sticking as far as possible to the standard version of the public cloud solution. Beyond Gravity defined the following rules:

• 80% of processes must be covered by the standard 鈥� and adapted to it if necessary.
• Key processes not covered by the standard must be added to 麻豆原创鈥檚 to-do list and implemented within a specified time frame.
• Where non-key processes are not covered by the standard, alternatives must be explored, such as a third-party solution, manual process, or other neat solution.

The result of this approach surprised even Eckerstein: 鈥淲e managed to cover 92% of all processes with the standard solution. And in finance, we didn鈥檛 find a single gap!鈥� There were many other practical benefits, such as:

• Managers can be able to call up a status overview of all projects in real time 鈥� for any country or currency 鈥� with just a few clicks.
• Intracompany processes can become more efficient, thanks to the option of using fully automated ordering and confirmation and in-transit goods tracking.

The percentage of processes not covered by the standard may be small, but it can represent a huge gap if even one of those processes is mission-critical.

Beyond Gravity has also got 麻豆原创 鈥� 麻豆原创 Switzerland, to be precise 鈥� on board as an implementation partner to give it the most direct line possible to the 麻豆原创 developers working on the cloud ERP solution.

Public Cloud ERP: A Calculated Risk

Beyond Gravity is now halfway along the project timeline. The solution was completed in September 2023 and is currently in its initial testing phase 鈥� with the first go-live scheduled for March 2024 in Sweden. 鈥淭his kind of speed is only possible in the public cloud,鈥� says Eckerstein, 鈥渁nd only if you adopt the right mindset.鈥� In other words, if you want to enjoy the benefits of the public cloud, you have to be willing to take a certain amount of risk that you would avoid with an on-premise installation and trust that the provider鈥檚 road map will take you where you want to go. But, as Eckerstein adds, 鈥淭his has nothing to do with blind trust; it鈥檚 about objectively calculating the risks involved.鈥�

Top image courtesy of 麻豆原创 employee Trupti Warad

The aerospace and defense (A&D) industry is battling similar woes, with 70% of companies in the sector experiencing an turnover. The loss of skilled workers notwithstanding, delays in hiring, training, securing worker clearances, and rising costs translate to challenges in keeping production up to match demand. Much like the civil aviation workforce that moved on, 75% of the labor pool in A&D left for career advancement, while 31% departed for a better work location or for a remote-working opportunity.

While enticing the reluctant workforce to return with higher pay and perks remains an option, the industries are fast realizing that amid the labor and cost-surge crisis, innovations in production planning and creating efficiencies in throughput processes are now paramount.

Bridging Silos with Automation

Manufacturing efficiency isn鈥檛 always achieved until the production of the 100^th unit. To overcome this, intelligent software can be used to run recreations on simulation capability tools. Everything from the projected manufacturing assembly process, field capability and configuration process, flight operations, and maintenance performance can be simulated in a virtual world via a , even before the first cutting or bending of sheet metal. This way, any aircraft or engine part that is virtually simulated is manufactured efficiently right from the first unit produced.

Similarly, with robotic process automation (RPA), a digital thread can be created to bring information from the upstream engineering departments and auto-generate work instructions to provide seamless information routing to the downstream manufacturing departments. With , organizations have the power to design, simulate, and monitor processes to help ensure that transformation value is part of the company鈥檚 DNA. This intelligent enterprise philosophy helps in minimizing the handover time between processes. As a result, hitherto system silos can be negated to reduce the overall throughput time. Also, short-term planning involving supply chain, parts, and tools can be better optimized to match resource availability.

While RPA can create process efficiencies, robotic interventions are already improving the manufacturing process.

Replacing Skilled Labor with Technology Augmentation

With Industry 4.0, facilities across the industrial landscape are introducing a digital, end-to-end workflow with additive manufacturing. In Q2 last year, the Association for Advancing Automation the ordering of over US$580 million worth of robots, up 25% from 2021. In the aerospace industry, robots are mastering the drilling and fastening function with a higher degree of accuracy than a real person and saving time along the way.

Likewise, robotic systems applying sealant to aircraft structures is resulting in 20% time-savings. Robots are also being used for quality assurance during manufacturing, inspection of active-duty aircraft, welding, painting, and polishing. While robots have 95% time-savings in aircraft washing, welding automation is expected to fill the nearly 400,000 welding vacancies anticipated in the U.S. by 2024.

With organizations ready to embrace automation, the need of the hour is to simplify adoption. The solution can make integrating robots as easy as plug and play. So, whether it is cross-docking items on trolleys at goods receipt, put-away trolley activities, or even robot-enabled pick-pack-and-pass functions, 麻豆原创 Warehouse Robotics hands warehouse operators a shot in the arm by supporting an array of scenarios. Quick to implement and with no additional licensing required, the solution can give customers running warehouse management operations an easy, low-risk entry into agile warehouse robotics.

But with time- and cost-savings featuring prominently on the aviation industry鈥檚 agenda, how can customer experience stay optimum?

Boosting Customer Satisfaction with Technology Aids

For an industry where small margins contribute to survival, reliance on customer loyalty is huge. Variables like speed and convenience, therefore, play a major role in building customer loyalty. But with labor shortages wreaking havoc, digital transformation is emerging as a viable solution.

For instance, every manufacturer or supplier has their own portal to document their parts or assets, and this causes A&D companies to deploy a manual workforce to track every part coming from hundreds of manufacturer portals. can help overcome this challenge by provisioning for every asset to reside on a single platform. Now, A&D companies can simply connect their back-end systems to the network, fetch data directly into their systems, gain insight into the transactional data of an asset, and execute maintenance activities. This way, 麻豆原创 Business Network for Asset Intelligence 鈥� a cloud-based network 鈥� can limit the use of the workforce and create efficiencies by facilitating secured information exchange between various roles in asset-intensive industries comprising of equipment manufacturers, operators, maintenance providers, and others.

Also, A&D aftermarket providers process invoices from hundreds of airlines or aircraft operators. Their receival, approval, and logging could be automated to better utilize scare resources. Similarly, bots can read customer complaints, assess the degree of importance, categorize them, and automatically forward them to designated departments for speedy resolution.

If the pandemic taught us the importance of supply chain resilience, its aftermath and the evolving geopolitical crisis drives home the significance of innovation in manufacturing to combat sudden spikes in demand amid rising costs and a depleting workforce.

There will always be unpredicted situations. That said, the goal is to achieve a planning stability for all companies in the industry. Reducing risks through additional information and better planning will allow companies to establish a more stable environment with fewer uncertainties. And now, the industries can take heart from the fact that in automation, they have an ally that can turn organizations and the sector at large into intelligent and resilient enterprises.

Learn how automation can drive resilience in the aerospace and defense sector at .

Torsten Welte is global VP and head of Industrial Business Unit for Aerospace & Defense at 麻豆原创.

On February 4, the U.S. military shot down a balloon suspected of being used by China to spy on the United States. The balloon had been flying across the U.S. for days before it was downed. At least three more suspected balloons were shot down by the U.S. and Canadian governments in the days that followed. Meanwhile, the Chinese government has insisted that the original balloon was a weather balloon that veered off course.

麻豆原创’s Take

That leaves open the question: In the age of satellites and drones, what part do balloons play in understanding and predicting weather?

鈥淪atellites really survey the middle part of the Earth, not the top ends,鈥� said Torsten Welte, 麻豆原创 global vice president and head of the industry business unit.

Balloons, on the other hand, can capture information on the Arctic and Antarctica. 鈥淪ometimes you want to see how big the ice is, or ice movements. [For that] you have to have some pictures and data from a balloon at that spot,鈥� Welte explained.

Weather balloons can capture information about air flows and temperatures on the ground and the ocean and go back to the early 1950s during the Cold War. The cameras and sensors used to track weather and collect geological information were easily used for espionage.

Using the old technology is precisely why the balloons are so effective for spying today, Welte said. 鈥淚t was something that the military was not really looking out for because they thought the technology was far too old. Very often we’re so focused on identifying new technology that going back to low tech beats the high tech.鈥�

Weather balloons today are used mostly for research at the poles. Balloons are not steerable, but they can purposely slip into a particular air current. Most weather information comes from satellites, including Europe’s Copernicus program, which uses 30 satellites to help understand climate change.

Weather information today is a conglomeration of various sources of data, from satellites to balloons that are often the size of one or several trucks. This weather information has a myriad of users, including drink makers, who use it to try to anticipate how thirsty consumers in a particular area will get.

鈥淵ou can take all this satellite information and incorporate it into your forecast and your business operations and plan accordingly,鈥� Welte said.

It鈥檚 also used in weather apps. Using some of that weather information plus their ground observations, can help farmers efficiently plant seeds, use the correct amount of water and fertilizer and the gauge the right time to harvest. 鈥淭hat advice is based on weather information that’s coming down to agriculture,鈥� said Welte.

Contact:
Ilaina Jonas, Senior Director of聽Global Public Relations, 麻豆原创
+1 (646) 923-2834,聽ilaina.jonas@sap.com

鈥淚t鈥檚 not just about what sustainable airplane design and production looks like, but also how to create more sustainable operations for existing fleets,鈥� said Torsten Welte, global vice president, head of A&D Industries at 麻豆原创. 鈥淢anufacturers are exploring how they can exchange more data up and down the value chain to design and manufacture the next generation of airplanes while making improvements to what they have for carbon-neutral business. Sustainable aviation connects data across engineering, procurement, supply chain, manufacturing, sales, and finance.鈥�

Emission-Free Aviation Requires Holistic Strategy

Like most industries, airplane manufacturers factor rework into the cost of doing business. That approach won鈥檛 be um鈥ustainable in this next era as increasingly stringent policies such as the kick in and cost pressures rise. analysts said that by 2024, 80% of global manufacturers will incorporate environmental sustainability into their product life cycle management processes and ecosystem, improving sales by 3%. The challenge for airplane manufacturers is keeping track of CO2 emissions across multilayered business operations.

鈥淐ompanies need to understand the entire CO2 footprint of every part that鈥檚 used in the airplane, along with every step of work associated with it, including sourcing and production, quality checks, production stoppages and rework, shipping, and recycling,鈥� said Welte. 鈥淚ndustry leaders are moving towards a holistic strategy for sustainable design through the airplane鈥檚 life cycle. For example, inside cabin materials are often switched out after a few years, with most ending up in landfills. How do you create a more circular economy during the airplane鈥檚 lifespan?鈥�

Fostering a Sustainable Mindset

Sustainability requires manufacturers to bring a different mindset and tools into everyday activities such as design and procurement. According to Welte, some manufacturers see procurement as ripe for change, shifting purchase considerations away from the lowest price to suppliers that offer products meeting indirect, longer-term sustainability parameters.

鈥淎 CO2-friendlier part might have an initially higher cost, but offer recyclability options that reduce carbon emissions,鈥� said Welte. 鈥淎dditionally, as airplane manufacturers explore sustainable fuel alternatives and materials, designers will need to collaborate much more closely with suppliers, sharing data to source the highest quality products that will decrease rework and resultant CO2 emissions. For example, technology like and helps designers efficiently work together with suppliers to set and meet shared sustainable business benchmarks.鈥�

Digital Innovations for Carbon Neutrality

Calculating the CO2 footprint of parts in an airplane is incredibly complex. It won鈥檛 be enough to evenly divide energy costs, such as electricity and heat, across different products. Accurate reporting calculates energy used far more precisely by individual parts based on all machine hours.

鈥淓very activity, direct or indirect, has to be accounted towards CO2,鈥� said Welte. 鈥淲ith greater visibility across the manufacturing value chain, companies can immediately spot problems with suppliers downstream to prevent rework by producing better products. When you can communicate faster with your , dynamically collecting and analyzing data from a centralized , you can track your organization鈥檚 progress against company and industry benchmarks.鈥�

It鈥檚 not lost on manufacturers that every slowdown carries a significant cost in wasted time, resulting in wasted energy. By 2023, analysts predicted that 30% of manufacturers will share applications with industry ecosystem partners to improve visibility and operational efficiency and ensure safety, security, and quality. Driven by increased demand for environmental accountability in manufacturing ecosystems, researchers expected 40% of G2000 manufacturers will use traceability technologies to mitigate risk and boost transparency by 2025. In the same timeframe, researchers predicted that by 40% of all manufacturing IT will own the responsibility of data modelling for sustainability and net-zero carbon targets. Already some manufacturers are using innovations like digital twins, which dynamically capture information that can speed up the production, product approvals, and certifications of new engines and aircrafts.

Deservedly or not, flying has a bad rap compared to other industries that can be equally or more energy intensive. But emission-free aviation is no mirage. Manufacturers have set their sights on a new horizon in sustainable business, bringing an ecosystem together to create a carbon-neutral future.

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On Saturday, NASA will again try to launch Artemis, its much feted and funded program to return to the moon — this time with more reusable equipment.

Earlier this week NASA canceled its first launch attempt due to a faulty engine cooling system on one engine, one of four on the unmanned spacecraft. Yet, with public setbacks and more than $40 billion already spent on the project, years behind schedule, is a walk on the moon worth it? Yes, experts said.

First, it helps commercial companies innovate. DustBuster, MRIs, CT scans, home insulation, shock-absorbing sneaker soles, fireproof firefighting suits and vacuum-packed foods are all common ideas developed with technology created for the Apollo moon missions 50 years ago.

麻豆原创’s Take

鈥淥n one hand, there’s a very practical purpose,鈥� said Paul Logue, 麻豆原创 senior vice president and global head of Insights, and a former engineer. 鈥淥n the other hand, there’s a nationalistic purpose as well. NASA is funded by the government, funded by the people, and you could translate that soft fuzzy pride into acceleration of commercial and military technology that thrust the U.S. into the No. 1 technology position.鈥�

President Dwight Eisenhower created NASA in 1958, and by 1969 it put a man on the moon, unleashing a pride in U.S. ingenuity. The successful Apollo missions also made NASA the mother of technology at the time.

鈥淪ome technology that is needed can be funded only through government monies to get to that fundamental research and development to use in other commercial areas,鈥� said Torsten Welte, 麻豆原创 vice president and global head of Industrial Business Unit for Aerospace & Defense.

For future operations — by public and private companies, such as SpaceX and Blue Origin — sustaining life on the moon and traveling to Mars starts with leaving Earth. That makes a safe and successful launch even more critical.

For years NASA has filled the role of a platform provider that private companies can build upon, partner with and use its technology to innovate other technologies. NASA can afford to go where no private company can, simply because it doesn鈥檛 have to turn a profit 鈥� ever.

鈥淣ASA is allowed to do many things that just wouldn’t be economically viable in in private sector,鈥� Logue said. 鈥淣ASA built this platform, which is allowing startups to innovate and basically drive revenue from delivery to that platform.鈥�

What will Artemis give rise to? 鈥淭here’s going to be opportunity for other startups to innovate and deliver people, deliver goods and services to that outpost,鈥� Logue said.

More than commercial development, moon missions, in all their stages, inspire.

鈥淣ASA pushed Artemis to get people excited again about space,鈥� Welte said. “You need to have a face that allows people to get excited about engineering and technology and doing something really cool.鈥�

NASA missions may help a new generation of engineers discover answers to some of its most pressing problems, such as climate change because many of these projects involve constant monitoring of earth from the moon, satellites and cameras that are far away.

鈥淔or young engineers and physicists that are just interested in what’s out there, no better place to do that than NASA,鈥� Logue said. 鈥淭he value of this project is to inspire.鈥�

Contact:
Ilaina Jonas, Senior Director of Global Public Relations, 麻豆原创
+1 (646) 923-2834, ilaina.jonas@sap.com