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| [December 17, 2012] |
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Multi-Year Collaboration Agreement between Astrium and ESI Group
PARIS --(Business Wire)--
ESI
Group, pioneer and world-leading solution provider in Virtual
Prototyping for manufacturing industries, announces the
signature of a protocol for a multi-year strategic collaboration
agreement with Astrium,
Europe's leading space technology company. Officially signed in Paris on
November 16, 2012 during the Astrium
R&T days, this agreement aims at developing Virtual Prototyping
technologies and promoting Virtual Engineering in the space domain, and
addresses critical needs in the design and manufacture of next
generation launchers.
Vincent Chaillou, COO, ESI (News - Alert) Group; Herve Gilibert, CTO and CQO, Astrium Space Transportation; Eric Daubourg, Chief Operating Officer, ESI France at the signing ceremony held in Paris on November 16, 2012. (Photo: ESI Group)
Astrium
and ESI
Group have implemented this long-term collaboration agreement with
the intent to jointly "co-create" new and innovative technologies,
processes, and development methodologies for the space industry and its
next generation launchers. The objective of this collaboration is to
enable the space industry to rapidly build robust virtual prototypes of
components, subsystems and systems of the new and improved launchers at
various and early stages of the design and development cycle.
At the signing ceremony held in Paris on November 16, Herv� Gilibert,
CTO and CQO of Astrium Space Transportation, described the collaborative
intent of this agreement:
"For Astrium, today's agreement with ESI Group sets a new standard in
how we collaborate with our key industrial partners. Our intent is to
align objectives and join forces to drive Astrium and its partners to
the leading edge of global innovation, in order to maintain and
reinforce the European leadership of Ariane in the global commercial
launch services market.
The relationship of Astrium with ESI dates back o the 70's before
the creation of the EADS (News - Alert) group, when ESI successfully accompanied the
development of numerical simulation in the aerospace and aeronautical
industry with the European Space Agency ESA/ESTEC. ESI has continued to
pioneer Virtual Prototyping worldwide, primarily in the automotive
industry where it has achieved most spectacular results.
Today both parties are convinced that a joint collaborative effort
between Astrium and ESI is the best partnership solution to address the
new global challenges of the space industry. We're setting the scene for
the next generation of space vehicles and technologies, while promoting
Virtual Prototyping and Virtual Engineering."
Eric Daubourg, COO of ESI France added: "Under this multi-year
agreement, ESI is fully committed to supporting Astrium-ST in its quest
for new methodologies in Virtual Prototyping that address the specific
requirements of advanced space technologies. Our partnership with
Astrium and the space community will enhance the national and
international recognition of launcher and space technologies developed
in Europe."
Despite being at the forefront of technology, the European space
industry must indeed face global challenges that are rising with the
arrival of new international players. In this environment, the overall
performance of launchers and their modularity and flexibility to
accommodate customers' needs must keep improving while manufacturing and
operating costs must be drastically reduced. New designs, new
manufacturing processes, and new multi material solutions have to be
invented, tested, validated, and certified in record time.
Vincent Chaillou, COO, ESI Group concluded: "Such an evolution
cannot be conducted using the traditional approach of trial and error on
increasingly expensive 'real' physical prototypes. Virtual Prototyping
enables the mandatory early evaluation of design and fabrication
alternatives, and allows the rapid corrections of identified
deficiencies."
About ESI Group
ESI
is a pioneer and world-leading provider in Virtual Prototyping that
takes into account the physics of materials. ESI
boasts a unique know-how in Virtual Product Engineering, based on an
integrated suite of coherent, industry-oriented applications. Addressing
manufacturing industries, Virtual Product Engineering aims to replace
physical prototypes by realistically simulating a product's behavior
during testing, to fine-tune fabrication and assembly processes in
accordance with desired product performance, and to evaluate the impact
on product use under normal or accidental conditions. ESI's
solutions fit into a single collaborative and open environment for
End-to-End Virtual Prototyping. These solutions are delivered using the
latest technologies, including immersive Virtual Reality, to bring
products to life in 3D; helping customers make the right decisions
throughout product development. The company employs about 900 high-level
specialists worldwide covering more than 30 countries. ESI
Group is listed in compartment C of NYSE Euronext Paris.
For further information, visit www.esi-group.com.
About Astrium
Astrium
is the number one company in Europe for space technologies and the third
in the world. In 2011, Astrium had a turnover close to �5 billion and
18,000 employees worldwide, mainly in France, Germany, the United
Kingdom, Spain and the Netherlands.
Astrium
is the sole European company that covers the whole range of civil and
defence space systems and services. Its three business units are:
Astrium Space Transportation for launchers and orbital infrastructure;
Astrium Satellites for spacecraft and ground segment; Astrium Services
for comprehensive fixed and mobile end-to-end solutions covering secure
and commercial satcoms and networks, high security and broadcast
satellite communications equipment and systems, and bespoke
geo-information services, worldwide.
Astrium is a wholly owned subsidiary of EADS, a global leader in
aerospace, defence and related services. In 2011, the EADS-
comprising Airbus, Astrium,
Cassidian and Eurocopter - generated revenues of �49.1 billion and
employed a workforce of over 133,000.
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Photos/Multimedia Gallery Available: http://www.businesswire.com/multimedia/home/20121217006117/en/
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