European aircraft manufacturer Airbus opened a development center in the Chinese city of Shenzhen with the aim of joining forces with local partners to create the world’s leading access point of innovation, reports Xinhua.
The Airbus China Innovation Center (ACIC) is the first innovation center of this European aerospace giant in Asia and second in the world after A3 in Silicon Valley in the USA.
The new center has set a goal to explore and implement the viability of innovation in the future of aviation. Its mission is to take full advantage of local developments, including talents, enterprises, and environment, combining them with Airbus’s aerospace expertise.
“We see ourselves as partners of China, and we are developing in-depth cooperation in civil aviation and industry sectors with China. Thanks to the innovation center in Shenzhen, Airbus, and our excellent partners are creating a new pillar of innovation in China”, said the CEO of Airbus, Tom Enders.
As a pioneer city in China’s reform and opening up, Shenzhen has global competitive advantages in technology research and development, industrialization, and international development. It is also a key city in the “Big Bay” region of Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macau.
With the full operation, ACIC will focus on designing, testing and certifying new technologies related to the areas of laboratory equipment, passenger experience in the cabin, onboard Internet connectivity, manufacturing industry innovation and urban aeronautical mobility (UAM).
Airbus and the Shenzhen Commerce Department also signed a memorandum of cooperation to jointly study UAM solutions in Shenzhen.
By the end of 2019, Shenzhen is expected to be the first city in China to introduce UAM services using helicopters as part of the combined efforts of Airbus and local partners.
Currently, more than 20% of Airbus commercial aircraft enter the Chinese market. As of the end of 2018, about 1,700 Airbus aircraft served the Chinese market.
