Date:05/12/2009 URL: http://www.thehindubusinessline.com/2009/12/05/stories/2009120552940300.htm

Back EADS launches India R&D centre

Innovation Works to be involved in development of superfast planes, bio fuels.

Our Bureau

Bangalore, Dec. 4

European aerospace leader EADS says it is tapping Indian grey cells for future aeronautical technology solutions: they range from a new breed of superfast planes, less noisy aircraft to bio-fuels that can replace aviation kerosene.

As a first step, it launched its India branch of Innovation Works, the third outside Europe and part of the EADS global network of R&D centres here on Friday.

Dr Jean J. Botti, Chief Technology Officer of the €43-billion conglomerate, European Aeronautic Defence Space Systems, told a news conference that such technologies may mature in over 20 years.

Tapping Biotech

“There are specialities in this country that we cannot neglect, such as biotechnology, for what comes next after kerosene (as aviation fuel.)” The company had begun discussions on biotechnology-driven new sources of energy.

On the propulsion side, space agency ISRO may have an answer to future aircraft. ISRO's knowledge, he said, could be used to make a certain niche of supersonic and hypersonic aeroplanes of tomorrow.

The Innovation Works centre is housed in the older 120-strong Airbus Engineering Centre India (AECI) and will take up simulation projects related to Airbus, joint projects in radar technology, engineering and software development with companies and institutions such as the IITs. The AECI is planned to have 400 engineers by 2012.

Mr Yann Barbaux, head of EADS Innovation Works, said Bangalore was a natural extension of EADS' global research network. It would run its own projects and broker research projects for the various EADS divisions.

EADS renewed its tie-up with IIT-Mumbai and its offshoot start-up, Zeus Numerix P Ltd, to cut aircraft noise by a third by redesigning the wing. Mr Yves Guillaume, CEO of EADS India, was present.

On FIPB rejection

A senior EADS official declined to comment on the FIPB rejecting a joint venture proposal with L&T as majority partner, or whether the two partners planned to make a fresh submission.

Dr Jean Botti, the Netherlands-based CTO of the European major, said he would not comment on the issue as “L&T is still under discussions (about the joint venture.)”

“People have not understood (the proposal) and we are trying to understand (why the 24:76 proposal with L&T in majority was declined.) It is too early to speculate.”

For the past 18 months, EADS' global team has also been revving up the winning potential of the Vijay Mallya-owned Force India racing cars for the 2012 Indian Grand Prix with a dose of its aerodynamics expertise.

EADS has tie-ups with HAL, ISRO, Bharat Dynamics Ltd and Larsen & Toubro in research, supply chain management, satellite-making, sourcing parts, and development of military missiles and radars.

Dr Barbaux said EADS was looking at homeland security and military radars in the country.

According to Mr Eugen Welte, CEO of the Airbus engineering centre, it could look at the flow of people at airports and air traffic management itself. The European Space Agency is developing over 30 navigational satellites that will give it its own system to rival the US military's GPS (Global Positioning System)