The aerospace industry in Germany is optimistic about the future and expects full order books to prevail. There is, however, a definite need for action when it comes to digitization: more than 80 percent of companies attach great importance to technological change, although measurable productivity gains and successful digital business models are still the exception. These are the results of the study “Aerospace 2019 – Leadership in Times of Change”. Management consultants Staufen, together with the German Aerospace Industries Association (Bundesverband der Deutschen Luft- und Raumfahrtindustrie e.V. – BDLI), conducted a survey among the executives of BDLI member companies.
Today, there is ‘made-in-Germany’ technology in every passenger aircraft delivered worldwide. To continue this success story, digital transformation must be implemented now. But it is precisely because of the economic boom of recent years that some companies are having difficulties focussing on driving change forward,” says Christoph Heine, Manager Aerospace Industry at Staufen AG. Looking back over the past three years, both the BDLI member companies’ own organization (84 percent of the companies) and their customer processes (70 percent) have changed positively or even very positively. And, according to Heine, the outlook is also optimistic: “Nine out of ten top managers expect a positive or very positive development in the coming years”.
In view of these good prospects, the German aerospace industry should now seize the opportunity of digital change and, in particular, adjust its management culture accordingly. Some of the leaders in the aerospace industry are already driving digital change, but many companies have some catching up to do. The companies surveyed are significantly better positioned in terms of basic technologies. 62 percent rate their own position in this field as “good average” or “top group”.
“The German aerospace industry is doing well in terms of international competition,” confirms Volker Thum, Managing Director of the BDLI. “Driven by the global market growth in air traffic and new technological opportunities in space travel, our industry – from large corporations to small and medium-sized enterprises – has developed at an above-average rate in recent years.
The joint study by Staufen AG and the BDLI shows how well the German aerospace industry is positioned to maintain its leading international position in the future. Especially since the economic environment is much more dynamic today than it was just a few years ago and the aerospace industry is experiencing a strong acceleration in technological developments and is helping to shape them. Christoph Heine, Partner at Staufen AG, and Robert Friebe, Speaker for Digitization, Cyber Security and UAV (unmanned aerial vehicles), will explain the opportunities for the German aerospace industry at the joint presentation of the study results at the Paris Air Show on Wednesday, 19 June 2019, 12:00 noon in Paris (conference centre in the basement of Hall 2 – near the BDLI Lounge, Hall 2).
