Creating a greener aerospace sector is key to the industry bouncing back from COVID-19, according to new research.
The second part of Protolabs’ Horizon Shift report, which involved aerospace business leaders from across Europe, reveals that more than three-quarters of firms expect environmental credibility to become a key differentiator moving forward.
A large number of the surveyed firms, 65%, believe investment in innovation that reduces emissions should continue despite the pandemic, with 42% now transforming their supply chains as part of the innovation drive to cut down CO2 output.
“The two crises of climate change and COVID-19 lockdowns are changing the face of the aerospace industry,” said Bjoern Klaas, Vice President and Managing Director of Protolabs Europe, a manufacturer of custom prototypes and low-volume production parts.
“New types of aircraft, business models and supply chains will emerge. Survival is not going to be about a fast transition, but about building up resilience for the long-term. Part of that is producing the next generation of aircraft: improved aerodynamics, lighter, more fuel-efficient and less polluting.”
He continued, “91% of business leaders admit that cutting CO2 is having some form of impact on how they run their companies and, the good news for the European aerospace sector, is that it appears they’ve decided to embrace the pressure by transforming supply chains and developing new technologies and materials.”
