|
|
Marignane, July 16, 2012 |
“Our innovation policy has always been very ambitious and will remain so in the coming years,” said Eurocopter President and CEO Lutz Bertling. “It allows us to stay well ahead of our competitors when it comes to technological advances and it is a significant help in maintaining our position as a world leader in the civil and parapublic markets. We are continuing to invest in innovation and infrastructures by equipping our development teams with the most modern and suitable resources, enabling them to rise to the challenges of creating the helicopters of the future.”
A topping off ceremony was held in Donauwörth last Friday to celebrate the end of structural work of the new development center for around 900 engineers, with a total floor area of 30,000 square meters. Due for delivery at the end of this year, this new building forms part of the Systemhaus project and aims to bring together, all under one roof, the resources, skills and means required to develop, produce and certify helicopters and to assure their maintenance. As a result, the workforce currently based at Ottobrunn will be moving to join their Donauwörth colleagues in the spring of 2013.
In parallel to the ceremony in Donauwörth, the entire project for the construction of a development center at Marignane was approved on July 13. The project began with the refurbishment of the Labogir building (vehicle and mechanical test benches), which was inaugurated today, and the construction of the Helicopter Zero building (test benches integrating various helicopter systems), to be delivered in April 2013. The flagship of Marignane’s future development center will be a new building: planned for delivery in early 2015, it will accommodate up to 1,000 people and house, in particular, the “plateau” for the new programs under development. Groundbreaking is scheduled for July 2013. Finally, the existing Design Office building will be renovated and new facilities housing avionics test benches will be built.
About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter Group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace and defense-related services. The Eurocopter Group employs approximately 20,000 people. In 2011, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s number one helicopter manufacturer with a turnover of 5.4 billion Euros, orders for 457 new helicopters and a 43 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the Group’s helicopters account for 33 percent of the worldwide civil and parapublic fleet. Eurocopter’s strong international presence is ensured by its subsidiaries and participations in 21 countries. Eurocopter’s worldwide network of service centers, training facilities, distributors and certified agents supports some 2,900 customers. There are currently more than 11,300 Eurocopter helicopters in service in 149 countries. Eurocopter offers the most comprehensive civil and military helicopter range in the world and is fully committed to safety as the most important aspect of its business.
For more information, please contact:
| Stéphane Chéry Tel: + 33 (0)4 42 85 60 51 Mob: + 33 (0)6 23 93 71 23 stephane.chery@eurocopter.com |
Pascale Fleury Tel: + 33 (0)4 42 85 62 38 Mob: + 33 (0)6 32 54 05 02 pascale.fleury@eurocopter.com |
| Julie Guérin Tel: + 33 (0)4 42 85 59 64 Mob: + 33 (0)6 22 00 34 73 Julie.guerin@eurocopter.com |
Gloria Illas Tel: + 33 (0)4 42 85 58 89 Mob: +33 (0) 6 31 47 08 99 gloria.illas@eurocopter.com |
| Christoph Mueller Tel: + 49 (0)906 71 5739 Mob: + 49 (0) 151 1712 6318 Christoph.mueller@eurocopter.com |
Priscilla Yip Tel: +65 6592 7217 Mob: +65 9660 7040 Priscilla.yip@eurocoptersea.com.sg |
