Anand Stanley, President of Airbus Asia-Pacific, held a press conference in Japan and set a target of doubling Airbus’s procurement from Japan from more than approximately $230 million currently to more than approximately $460 million in 10 years. He identified composite materials and hydrogen- and electric-related technologies as key areas and expressed his intention to strengthen cooperation with Japanese companies.
The President of Airbus Asia-Pacific held a press conference at Airbus Japan and said the company aims to double its annual procurement from Japan from more than $2.3 billion currently to more than $4.6 billion in 10 years. Specifically, he cited composite materials supporting aircraft weight reduction and technologies from Japanese companies related to hydrogen and electrification, and expressed an intention to work closely with Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry.
Airbus has supplier relationships with more than 100 Japanese companies and plans to leverage their advanced expertise through the use of sophisticated modular components and equipment aimed at improving aircraft performance. Examples cited included joint research with Toshiba on superconducting motors and cooperation with Kawasaki Heavy Industries in the hydrogen sector.
In the defense sector, Airbus said it plans to work with the Ministry of Defense and industry as the Japanese government moves to increase defense spending to 2% of GDP. While the Asia-Pacific region accounts for two-thirds of the aircraft market, Japan’s share remains at one-third, and Airbus expressed an intention to raise Japan’s share to at least 50% in the future.