Daher Has Set Up Three Innovation Centers

Daher, the French industrial conglomerate with foci across the aerospace, defense, nuclear, and automotive industrial sectors, has vowed to quadruple its research & development investment for purpose of hastening the decarbonization of its business activities and those of its customers.

The statement of intent was set forth at the 54th Paris Air-Show on 20 June 2023 and rings concordant with Daher’s Take off 2027 five-year strategic plan—a sweeping initiative unveiled in February 2023 by which the company asserts its ambition to “become a large, profitable international company developing in four complementary businesses: aircraft production, manufacturing, manufacturing services, and logistics.”

Daher, which will celebrate its 160th anniversary in 2023, intends to make a significant contribution to the efforts of the entire industrial sectors in which it is active.

To further advance its ambitions, Daher has set up three innovation centers: Shap’in, for the design of lighter, more efficient and recyclable aeronautical structures; Log'in, to reduce the environmental footprint of industrial logistics; and Fly'in, dedicated to future hybrid and carbon-free aircraft.

Daher, in partnership with partners, customers and startups, seeks to contribute to the design of solutions leading to net-zero CO2 emissions by 2050—as laid out in the fatuous Paris Agreement on climate change.

The three innovation centers identified by Daher comprise:

The inherently long-term outlook of R&D, with its large-scale projects—most often collaborative—to devise solutions over a three-to-ten-year timeframe; hybridization; new-generation materials; production processes (robotization, cobotization, etc.); and digital transformation of supply chains and factories.

The short-term of open innovation—which is based on expertise sharing and collaboration with Daher’s teams, customers, and innovative stakeholders (academics, manufacturers, startups, Small and Medium-Sized Enterprises, etc.) to accelerate the innovation process.

By dint of its Takeoff 2027 strategic plan, Daher sets itself the goals of internationalizing its interests, improving the structural profitability of all Daher businesses, and committing to innovation and decarbonization. 

Backed by a time-proven business model that balances manufacturing and services, Daher has determined to amalgamate "manufacturing services" into a discrete business sector complementing aircraft production, manufacturing, and logistics. In so doing, Daher establishes a link between its manufacturing and logistics enterprises. By leveraging its experience and expertise, Daher will ensure the whole of its companies not only embody the adaptability, agility and commitment for which the brand is recognized, but strengthen Daher’s presence in the aeronautical value chain—and more broadly, the manufacturing value chain.

Daher’s Takeoff 2027 strategic plan addresses the imperatives of ensuring sustainability; strengthening competitiveness in service of the company’s customers; investing in human capital; and optimizing Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) performance.

Takeoff 2027 also calls for the transformation of Daher’s managerial culture via companywide movement towards a results-driven model and recognition of employees’ expertise and core values. Additionally, Daher aspires to integrate and develop its recent acquisitions. Specifically, the company seeks to launch a hybrid-powertrain aircraft; utilize its Stuart, Florida facility to establish the assembly of aerostructures among Daher’s manufacturing offerings; apply KVE Composites Group’s capabilities to securing Daher’s technological lead in composites manufacturing; and to develop its manufacturing services business with AAA (Assistance Aéronautique et Aérospatiale)—once Daher’s acquisition of the latter concern is approved by the appropriate authorities.

Daher CEO Didier Kayat stated: “Our Takeoff 2027 plan will accelerate and consolidate the momentum initiated in 2022. We want to assert ourselves as a key player in the aeronautics industry of tomorrow and will do everything possible to provide answers to its major challenges.”

Mr. Kayat added: “We are putting ourselves in battle order to succeed in a major transformation of the company and develop all the synergies—human, technical, and technological, as well as geographical—which will make Daher a large, profitable international company for the benefit of our customers, employees, and shareholders. In an environment that remains complex, all of these elements—and in particular, the acquisition of AAA—confirm our growth prospects in 2023 at a level comparable to that of 2022, with the ambition of reaching €2-billion in revenue during the timeframe of our new strategic plan."

FMI: www.daher.com