Safrane Magazine - June 2010 - No.8

p. 36 insight: SAFRAN TECHNOLOGY VS. CRIMINALS / p. 40 interview: NICOLAS bAVEREz, ECONOMIST

magazinesafran

june 2010 – no. 8the safran group magazine

A continuous stream of innovations by the original low-cost carrier

SouthweSt, a viSionary winner

special report

marchésContents

02 _ June 2010 _ safran magazine safran magazine _ June 2010 _ 03

marchésEditorial

T he world was a very different place in the 1970s… Who at the time could have predicted the end of the Cold War, or the Chinese economic boom? Or imagined that the Internet would turn a far-out science fic-tion concept into a daily routine? The air transport industry was just starting to carry people other than the jet-set, and Concorde was begin-ning revenue service. And yet, a few pioneers were making a radical

break with the established order… and taking risks that would pay off. Innovators in the aviation industry dared to invent the widebody jet and the

CFM56 turbofan engine – and customers who were just as audacious signed up for the ride. For instance, Herb Kelleher invented the low-cost airline, despite gen-

eral indifference and even skepticism, and Southwest began to fly passengers between dusty secondary airports in Texas. He also kicked off a significant relationship with CFM, one that’s still going strong over 30 years later.

Five hundred other customers have joined the CFM roster since then, won

over by this innovative new engine. And they have remained loyal because we continuously improve our product, pay attention to their changing needs, and offer innovative solutions to reduce their costs. These are all imperatives for survival in an industry that, like Southwest, has sought to reduce ticket prices for the last three decades.

Our survival in fact depends on our customers, on our ability to come up with innovative solutions to keep them satisfied in an ever-changing world. Since the seventies, the Internet has become an integral part of doing business, China has been transformed beyond all recognition and is in the process of becoming our largest market – and that’s not all. Throughout Safran, in all our markets and all our businesses, we must maintain a single-minded focus on our customers.

Single-minded focus on customers

32 Markets

Check out the latest safran group news at www.safran-group.com

Jean-Pierre CojanExecutive VP, strategy and Development safran

News breaks p. 04

Tomorrow p. 0808 Electronics synergies 10 Towards “more electric” aircraft

Special report p. 12Southwest, a visionary winner The originator of the low-cost carrier model continues to innovate

panorama p. 18Safran and the Airbus A400M The new Airbus Military airlifter can handle both tactical and strategic missions

Markets p. 2222 Maximum airport security26 Training, CFM’s competitive edge28 Dreamliner landing gear30 Sagem Industries evolves32 FELIN, modernizing the French army

Insight p. 3535 Riding the wave of success36 On the case with Safran38 Snapshots of new hires

Interview p. 40Emerging from the crisis: focus on industryInterview with Nicolas Baverez, economist and historian

“Safran invested some 300 million euros last year to modernize current plants”

Sagem’s FELIN solder modernization system, a state-of-the-art equipment suite for infantry soldiers, is now operational.

FELIN IN THE FIELD

The Safran Group magazine - 2, bd du Général-Martial-Valin 75724 Paris Cedex

15 - France - Fax : +33 (0)1 40 60 85 01 - E-mail: [email protected] - Publication Director: Pascale Dubois - Editorial Director: Christine Orfila - Executive Editor in Chief: Florent Vilbert - Editor in Chief: Martin Bellet - Written by: D. Baudier, M. Bellet, M. Détruy, P. François, A. Kovalenko, F. Lert, P. Michaud, A. Papeguay, G. Sequeira-Martins - Translation: Don Siegel, ID Communications - Production:

- Printed by: Imprimerie Vincent, certified imprim’vert, on PEFC accredited paper - ISSN 1960-7164 - The articles and illustrations published in this magazine may not be reproduced without prior authorization. Cover: © Southwest Airlines

© s

agem

© s

afra

n

© r

émy

Gui

llaum

ot/s

afra

n

© L

eo D

rum

ond

safran Discovery Days

M ore than 800 Safran group managers came together on March 30 and 31 in Poitiers, central France, for the 5th Safran Discovery Days. This two-day event was created to enable newly hired or promoted managers

to discover Safran’s organization, markets, products and values, and to foster pride in being part of the Safran group. Featuring both plenary sessions and a special forum to introduce Group companies, Discovery Days offers an excellent opportunity for discussions with corporate management. Participants this year heard presentations by Jean-Dominique Giulani, president of the Robert Schuman foundation, and Jean-Hervé Lorenzi, president of the French association “Le cercle des économistes”, on the major role to be played by innovation in the post-crisis economy. Bringing together employees from all Group companies and some 15 countries, including Brazil, Australia, China and the United States, this event clearly reflects the international scope and diversity of Safran.

wforuM

wBioMeTriCs

3,200 CUSTOMER-FOCUSED ENGINEERS on March 1 safran group company Teuchos merged with the engineering & Technology division of fellow Group company Labinal, creating safran engineering services. The new entity covers the entire system development cycle in its four centers of expertise: avionics and onboard software; electrical systems; aerostructures; and mechanical systems. although recent, some 60% of its business is already generated by outside customers, including eaDs, Bombardier, Valéo and Psa Peugeot Citroën. safran engineering services operates in eight countries to ensure local support for all customers.

sleek architecture, maximum security oscar Niemeyer is one of the

world’s best-known architects. His talents are clearly displayed in the

elegant lines of the Cidade Administrativa de Belo Horizonte, the new high-tech building housing the administrative headquarters of the State of Minas Gerais in Brazil, inaugurated early this year. Sagem Sécurité (Safran group) is a world leader in its own right, especially for identification solutions, and was chosen last March to handle security installations for this new building. The Minas Gerais administrative HQ will feature 300 latest-generation MorphoAccess 120 biometric terminals to ensure secure access to the most critical building entrances, using fingerprint recognition technology. Over 33,000 Safran terminals are already deployed in Brazil, confirming the country’s confidence in Safran’s security expertise.

marchésNews breaks


million flight-hours logged by the arriel turboshaft engine since being launched in 1977, illustrating its exceptional robustness.

30

© Patrick Penna/Eurocopter

© r

émy

Gui

llaum

ot/s

afra

n

sperwers look east

in February, Safran welcomed Laïlim Iagmourovitch Berdyev,

Defense Minister of Turkmenistan, to discuss a possible future sale of Sperwer tactical drones built by group company Sagem. These drones could shortly be assigned to border patrol duties for this Central Asian country.

wDrones

patents published by safran in 2009, ranking the Group no. 4 in france.

452

A NEW LOGO FOR SAFRAN

in May 2010 safran unveiled its new visual identity, largely based on a new logo , shown to the right. “our new identity aims to bolster safran’s recognition and image worldwide,” said Ceo Jean-Paul Herteman. it reflects the Group’s recent successes and its long-term strategy. in practice, the change involves a new emblem, a modernized logo and the addition of a line describing the Group’s three core businesses. Group companies will also benefit from the change.

safran’s new visual identity will be gradually deployed on all media, including signs, ads, publications, websites, products, etc., over the coming months.

w MOREwww.safran-group.com

solidarity with Haiti

safran sponsored its sixth concert in the Seasons of Solidarity

series in March, given by the Orchestra de l’Alliance at the Gaveau concert hall in Paris. All ticket sales from the concert, totaling 38,125 euros, were donated to Fidesco, a French NGO that has operated in Haiti for a dozen years. Fidesco participates in projects to support development and help local populations in the South. With receipts from the concert, Fidesco can built a grammar school for 500 children in Port-au-Prince, eventually creating more than 30 jobs.

wPaTronaGe

europe needs space! December 24, 1979. Christmas Eve that year was a landmark date in the conquest of space: the first Ariane launcher, Ariane 1, lifted off successfully, bringing Europe into the club of spacefaring nations. Today, Ariane is celebrating its 30th anniversary, with the current version Ariane 5. The Ariane program not only gives Europe independent access to space, but is also the world leader in commercial launch services. Ariane 4 logged 116 launches in 15 years, while Ariane 5 has recorded a success rate of 93.75%. Safran has been a partner in the Ariane program from the outset. Today, working in partnership, Safran makes all propulsion systems for the launcher, as well as the wiring harnesses and the gyros for the guidance system. Preliminary studies on a next-generation Ariane 6 are already under way. With Safran’s outstanding products and technological expertise, it should be as successful as the previous members of this family.

w MOREwww.happybirthday-ariane.eu

marchésNews breaks


The wings of history

© a

riane

spac

e

finger on the fly: the future of biometric recognitionFor the last five years, Safran has recognized employees’ innovative ideas that contribute to Group performance. The Group’s Innovation Competition is open to all employees and explores advances at all levels within Safran’s areas of expertise, to spotlight the creativity and energy of its workforce. The Grand Prize this year went to the “Finger on the Fly” system developed by Sagem Sécurité. This is a very promising biometric acquisition technology, capable of recognizing the fingerprints from four fingers on a moving hand. It should considerably speed up passenger traffic in airports, and further enhance the public’s general perception of biometric technologies.

w MOREsee the safran Innovation Grand Prize award ceremony in the media section of the safran website: www.safran-group.com

© s

téph

ane

de B

ourg

ies/

aba

ca p

ress

Safran landing gear chalk up more than 35,000 landings a day on all types of aircraft. These landing gear equip planes ranging from Airbus, Falcon, Bombardier, Hawker-Beechcraft, ATR and Embraer commercial and business aircraft, to fighters such as the Mirage 2000, Rafale, Eurofighter and FA/18, not to mention Eurocopter Dauphin, Puma and Tiger helicopters.

w MOREsee the aircraft Equipment section in the safran website: www.safran-group.com

35,000 landings a day!

© F

rédé

ric L

ert/

saf

ran

Composite fan blades, the FELIN integrated equipment suite for soldier modernization programs, a spaceborne mirror, laser gyros… these were just a few of the Safran technologies on display for European members of parliament and civil servants during a special exhibition organized by the Group in Brussels on May 6. Entitled “From Science to Solutions”, the exhibition allowed visitors to discover some of the many innovative technologies developed by Safran. In particular, the Group spotlighted its role in many European research programs, including Openair, to reduce aircraft engine noise, and Turbine, for systems to protect European citizens’ personal biometric data. Above all, this day-long event was an excellent opportunity to emphasize technology and innovation as engines of European competitiveness. The event closed with a presentation by Jean-Paul Herteman, CEO of Safran, concerning Europe’s research policy in aerospace, defense and security.

A conference was also organized that included Eric Dautriat, Executive Director of Clean Sky, a Joint Technology Initiative (JTI) that is Europe’s largest ever aeronautical research program, and professor Joachim Szodruch, head of the Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe (ACARE).

© G

érar

d V

ouill

on/s

afra

n

safran spotlights technologies in Brussels weXHiBiTion

MARC VENTRE REELECTED CHAIRMAN OF CLEAN Sky

Marc Ventre, safran executive Board Member, aerospace Propulsion branch, has been reelected as Chairman of the Governing Board of the european research program Clean sky. The aim of this major research program is to identify and develop the breakthrough technologies needed to make tomorrow’s air transport more environmentally friendly. With a 1.6 billion euro budget over a period of seven years, Clean sky brings together european industry, research centers and academia. w MOREwww.cleansky.eu

marchésTomorrow


C reated in early 2009, the Safran Elec-tronics division allows the Group to consolidate all of its capabilities in onboard electronics and safety-crit-ical software. The division is headed

by Jean-Michel Hillion, and has operations in the United States, Canada and Singapore, in addition to its main plant in the Paris suburb of Massy, with three buildings housing over 600 employees: Massy Atlantis for the development and R&T teams, Massy Carnot for the assem-

bly and final testing of electronic control units (ECU), and Massy Ampère for maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) in the Europe zone.

fosTerinG synerGiesSafran Electronics provides Group companies with the electronic control units, printed cir-cuit boards and software needed for their sys-tems and equipment. It is primarily organized around two operational departments (Cus-tomer programs, R&T programs), and four

A year after being created, Safran Electronics is moving to newly renovated premises, where it will deploy the human and material resources needed to meet emerging customer requirements.

SAFRAN ELECTRONICS CONSOLIDATES FORCES

OrGaNIZaTION

What was the major challenge for your center of excellence in 2009? We had to consolidate teams from six different group facilities at hispano-suiza, messier-Bugatti and sagem, and bring together the different disciplines involved. We set up a matrix

organization, which is more efficient than the traditional vertical model, enabling teams to work together concurrently. We now have a total of 600 people working here.

What are the advantages of this consolidation? Before, the physical

distance between plants was a real handicap for communications, so this consolidation has greatly facilitated contacts between our teams and management. Our center of excellence covers the production of electronic control units for civil aircraft, as well as the fabrication of printed circuit boards for all Group companies. We have also achieved efficient management of the entire supply chain, from purchasing to fabrication to logistics.

Partnership with siaeC

at the 2009 Paris air show, safran and sIa Engineering company Ltd. (sIaEc), a subsidiary of singapore airlines, announced the merger of their electronics repair activities within the joint venture safran Electronics asia Pte Ltd., to provide repair and other support services for avionics. “By pooling our repair resources, we can reduce costs and improve efficiency and quality, while also accelerating our development,” says Franck scherer, head of the mrO business and chief operating officer of the joint venture. “This enables us to provide support services for all electronic products made by the Group, as well as electronic control units by many other manufacturers, not just for singapore airlines, but also for other customers in the asia-Pacific.”

safran Electronics, director of the Production center of excellence

w RENé ALLIOT

right, a flying-probe tester (with moving

test heads) that checks the operation

of printed circuit boards at the sagem

industries (safran group) plant.

centers of excellence: product development, software development, production and MRO. By consolidating areas that had previously been divided between different Group companies, this organization enables Safran Electronics to expand its knowledge base, while also facilitat-ing sharing of expertise between teams. The Massy plant will complete most of the 104 development projects already under way at the division, along with all electronic control unit integration and testing.

“Bringing together these broad areas of expertise within a single plant will help develop technological emulation,” notes René Alliot, director of the Production center of excellence. “It will also enable Safran Electronics to meet two main objectives, namely to consolidate our strengths in electronics R&D, production and repair; and to become the center of excellence in electronic control units for the entire Safran group.”

GearinG uP for THe fuTureSafran Electronics’ definitive move to the Massy site marks a major milestone for the Group’s expanded capabilities in this field. As division head Jean-Michel Hillion said when it was created, “Aviation is undergoing a real transformation, as hydraulic systems gradually give way to electrical systems, controlled by power electronics and software.”

By grouping its forces, Safran Electronics will be able to give its customers comprehensive solutions, whether calling on Group companies or outside partners. Safran has all the cards in hand needed to address upcoming develop-ments in both aerospace and defense.

employees are now grouped at a single safran electronics site in Massy, near Paris.

600

© s

afra

n

© D

r

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r

marchésTomorrow


air transport faces two daunting chal-lenges today, namely rising oil prices and environmental constraints. One of the solutions chosen by industry is the “more electric” aircraft, in which

electrically-driven systems replace the hydraulic or pneumatic systems traditionally used. This ambi-tious project demands a transformation in our conception of these systems, as well as their con-stituent components. “Safran created the SPEC center of expertise in 2004 to enhance our overall efficiency,” says Régis Meuret, head of the center. Bringing together experts from eleven Safran group companies*, SPEC immediately identified five major areas of research: electrical networks, power electronics cooling and environment, power components and converter design, electrical drive architectures, and integration of power electron-

ics in the jet engine environment. These were further broken down into 15 flagship initiatives. Over the course of its research work, and during its biannual symposiums – the fourth is slated for November 2011 – SPEC established relations with the worlds of academia and research, starting with the French scientific research agency CNRS, then research labs in Switzerland, Germany and North America. Today, it is actively involved in over 20 partnerships.

sPeC unDer TesTWhile these technologies will be nurtured and developed through SPEC, a Safran program dubbed Amperes, French for “more electric modular aircraft”, will demonstrate their maturity. Amperes is a Group-wide initiative designed to optimize architectures and integrate innovative solutions in tomorrow’s aircraft,

especially for the engines, landing gear, flight con-trols and energy management. At the same time, SPEC experts are forming part-nerships with manufacturers in Europe, to meet three main objectives: benefit from research in the most advanced sectors, identify partners able to produce the required components, and perform tests. Car-ried out in close collaboration with European pro-grams such as Joint Technology Initiatives (JTI), this approach has breathed new life into Copper Bird (see box), the test rig dedicated to the integration and characterization of aircraft electrical networks.

MuLTiDisCiPLinaryOver the last year, SPEC has also formed ties with Safran’s purchasing, marketing and mar-ket intelligence departments, to plan ahead for future developments. “Buyers help us quickly contact suppliers and evaluate the risks inher-ent in the different solutions we are develop-ing,” explains Régis Meuret. “At the same time, they track emerging technologies.” Thanks to the marketing efforts by R&T teams, SPEC hopes to make aircraft manu-facturers more aware of its solutions, so that they will be incorporated in development road maps. The marketing intelligence teams are a sort of radar. As Meuret says: “They help us know where our competitors stand, and can indicate new paths to follow, which allows the management committee to make timely deci-sions.” In fact, timeliness is one of the keys to this trend. The first company to offer the best solutions will have a clear head start in estab-lishing its market domination.

* Aircelle, Hispano-Suiza, Labinal, Messier-Bugatti, Messier-Dowty, Sagem, Snecma, Snecma Propulsion Solide, Techno-fan, Techspace Aero and Turbomeca.

To meet the challenge of developing “more electric” aircraft, Safran is pooling its strengths in the Safran Power Electronics Center, or SPEC, which also calls on outside expertise.

MORE ELECTRIC AIRCRAFT, TO SPEC

ELEcTrONIcs

doctoral theses at safran on “more electric” aircraft technologies.

participants at the sPeC symposium in november 2009.

27demonstrators shown at the last sPeC symposium.

12190

What’s the aim of your research? We’re working on high-temp power electronics, high operating voltages and energy management in integrated circuits. Our research will be used to help replace the hydraulic systems and controls used in aircraft engines and brakes.

What kind of materials are you

using to meet this goal? We’ve already developed silicon carbide-based components capable of functioning several hours at a temperature of 300°c. Eventually, we hope to use these materials to form the core of power electronics. since silicon carbide is both difficult and costly to use, we’re also working on a technology known

as sIO, for silicon on insulator, already widely used in the aerospace and automotive sectors. It should help us develop stable control circuit prototypes more quickly. The first systems of this type could be flying towards 2015.

are there a lot of players in this sector? a number of manufacturers are in fact interested, and many European research programs focus on this area. a market for high-temp components is emerging, because they could be used in multiple sectors.

National Institute of applied sciences, Lyon (France), research director, member of the sPEc network

w HERVé MOREL

© T

ino

© D

r

Copper Bird, a test rig for europe

Europe initiated a major aeronautical r&D program in 2002, called the Power Optimized aircraft, or POa. as part of this program, Group company hispano-suiza built Europe’s first hVDc (high-voltage direct-current) electrical system integration test rig, dubbed copper Bird, at its plant in colombes, near Paris. For the next two years program partners took turns checking out prototypes of their newly developed electrical equipment. In 2008, the vast clean sky research program breathed new

life into this test rig. Upgraded to simulate the entire electrical network architecture on smaller aircraft (business and regional aircraft, helicopters), copper Bird now hosts teams from throughout Europe, including EaDs-casa from spain, agustaWestland and alenia from Italy, the Fraunhofer Gesellschaft research organization from Germany and Dassault and Eurocopter from France. “copper Bird played a pivotal role in establishing safran’s credibility for the development of ‘more electric’ aircraft,” says Jean-Jacques charrier, head of r&T and strategy at hispano-suiza.

The originator of the low-cost carrier concept continues to innovate to ensure top-flight customer service. Southwest counts on flawless support from suppliers to deliver its inimitable service.

SouthweSta viSionary winner

99 million dollars net profit in 2009.

35,000 employees at Southwest airlines.

1,146CFM56 engines in service with Southwest.

12 _ June 2010 _ SaFran magazine SaFran magazine _ June 2010 _ 13

marchésSpecial report

© c

hiak

i Kaw

ajiri

/The

Exa

min

er


F rom the huge bay windows in the com-pany cafeteria at Southwest Airlines headquarters in Dallas, you get an unre-stricted view of the runways at Love Field. Brightly-colored Boeing 737 twinjets, the

airline’s iconic symbol, take off and land in a never-ending aerial ballet. It’s from this small airport in northwest Dallas that the first 18 flights offered by Southwest departed in 1971. They were headed for San Antonio and Houston, the Texas “golden tri-angle” that the founding fathers, Rollin King and Herb Kelleher, had drawn on a paper cocktail nap-kin while enjoying a drink – or so legend has it.

“Boeing made a risky bet at the time, by financing what was then only a raw startup,” says Mike Van de Ven, Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer at Southwest. But it turned out to be a winning bet. The original idea was to offer fares so low that travelers would take a plane instead of their car. For this con-cept to be profitable, however, costs had to be cut to the bone, and efficiency had to be at fever pitch. Among the innovations were no in-flight service (although passengers are given free pea-nuts); direct ticket sales, without intermediar-ies; service solely to secondary airports in major

Southwest flight crews, from the 1970s to the 2000s.

The world’s first discount airline, or low-cost carrier in industry jargon, Southwest Airlines was founded in Dallas, Texas. Betting on innovative solutions right from the outset, Southwest continues to prosper thanks to a very solid business model and an offbeat corporate culture.

SouthweSt continueS to Shape the low-coSt model

PrOFILE


cities to reduce fees; and a single-make fleet, so that pilots and crews could fly any aircraft with-out a second thought. The ultimate expression of this approach was a constant emphasis on maximizing aircraft utilization rates, with turn-around time between flights of no more than a half-hour!

Fun… but eFFiCientAnd this formula has worked very well indeed. Except for an odd quarter here and there, South-west has always turned a profit. Today, the air-line carries some 96 million passengers a year. And despite occasional bumps in the economy, the company has never laid off a single employee in its 39 years of existence. “Most of our employ-ees are unionized, and they’re very productive,” notes Mike Van de Ven. “We talk with them a lot, and they receive a share of the profits.” This reflects the watchword that you hear throughout the company: “If you treat your employees right, then they treat your customers right. And if you treat your customers right, then they keep com-ing back, and shareholders are happy.”

Southwest enjoys such a sterling reputation that last year it received 90,000 job applications. Ginger Hardage, Vice President for Communi-cations, gives candidates some very sage advice: “Don’t take yourself too seriously!” In fact, at last year’s office Halloween party, she came dressed as a space monkey. The company wants to give its customers an unforgettable experience, and humor is a large part of the mix. So it’s hardly surprising to hear a flight attendant rap his

“Boeing made a risky bet at the time, by financing what was then only a raw startup”Mike van de ven, Executive Vice President and chief Operating Officer at southwest

Southwest founder herb Kelleher arm-wrestling a rival for the right to use the advertising slogan, “Just Plane Smart”. the real winner of the battle will be local charities.

Duel in the sky

hQ or Museum?

When it’s time for a coffee break or lunch, the 3,000 employees at southwest’s headquarters in Dallas can take advantage of their free time to go to a museum – after all, it’s their own building! Each corner and each corridor of the huge white building in fact retraces the history of the airline, in detail. In the lobby, models of Boeing 737s decorated in southwest’s successive color schemes seem to take flight. Upstairs, each wall harbors its share of discoveries: press clippings, ads, photos of company parties, flight attendant graduating classes, or a gigantic fresco celebrating the feats of co-founder herb Kelleher. It’s also an opportunity to try the seats used on the airline’s first planes, or to check out the uniforms worn by flight attendants over the past thirty years – from a strict suit, to orange hot pants with knee-high boots! On the ground floor, you can follow the flight of each aircraft on a plasma screen in real time, right next to one of the early flight schedules that were regularly updated – by hand!

…

© s

outh

wes

t airl

ines

© s

o uth

wes

t ai rl

ines

© s

outh

wes

t airl

ines

© a

nn


o ver the last three decades, CFM International, a 50/50 joint com-pany of Safran and GE, has provided Southwest Airlines with increasingly high-performance engines. “In the

early 1980s, CFM hit the market with a turbofan whose design and performance revolutionized the state-of-the-art,” recounts Eric Bachelet, President and CEO of CFM International. “The CFM56-3 we offered to reengine the Boeing 737 not only delivered unprecedented reliability, but also fuel consumption a full 20 percent lower than the engine it replaced, and a significant reduction in noise. What is remarkable is that CFM was barely known at the time, since we had very lim-ited experience in the civil aviation market. And yet, Southwest and Boeing jointly decided to bet on our engine!”

QuiCK turnaroundThirty years later, Southwest’s Next Generation Boeing 737 twinjets are powered by the latest member of the CFM family, the CFM56-7B TI (Tech Insertion), offering even lower fuel con-sumption and emissions. In addition to their per-formance, these engines offer proven dispatch reli-ability – a critical advantage for a low-cost carrier, whose planes have to get back in the air as soon as possible after each landing. “We have a Dallas-based team that focuses on the Southwest fleet,” says Eric Bachelet. “And we keep our ears tuned to our customer, whether it concerns their engines’ operational performance, maintenance, or, more strategically, the fleet’s evolving requirements.”

All CFM engines deployed by Southwest have earned the TRUEngine label, concrete proof of their compliance with CFM recommendations. Southwest thus ensures their value, and enjoys a guarantee of top-quality maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services.

CFM has launched the development of a new-generation engine, dubbed the LEAP-X, which

t he relationship between Messier Services, a Safran group company, and Southwest Airlines, didn’t just spring up overnight. “A few years ago, we were already provid-ing maintenance services for the landing

gear on their Boeing 737s at our facility in Virginia,” notes Ian Longstreth, Vice President, Sales & Mar-keting at Messier Services Americas. “After this site was shut down, we continued to keep Southwest informed of the deployment of our new facility in Mexico. When the airline issued a request for propos-als for its Next-Generation 737s, we invited them to visit our plant in Querétaro. They were immediately interested, and we subsequently won the contract.”

Messier Services Americas set up a team in Queré-taro to implement the processes and technologies needed for certification by the FAA (Federal Avia-tion Administration) of the United States. The ini-tial three-year contract, with a renewal option, is the first won by Messier Services Americas for equipment

will be as innovative as the CFM56 was at its introduction. The LEAP-X engine, already chosen by Chinese planemaker Comac, could also make a perfect fit with Southwest’s requirements.

not produced by Safran. “We’re very proud to rise to this challenge,” says Longstreth, “all the more so since we’re going to work with an American airline that has one of the largest Boeing fleets in the world! South-west wanted a partnership that was both open and productive, and based on teamwork – and we met all these conditions!”

Final inspection of a boeing 737 landing

gear leg before it goes back to the

customer.

Southwest Airlines is CFM International’s largest commercial customer. The two companies have built a solid relationship that continues to grow even stronger with time, says Eric Bachelet, CEO of CFM.

In June 2009, Southwest Airlines chose Safran as one of its two providers of maintenance, repair and overhaul (MRO) services for the landing gear on the 328 Boeing Next-Generation 737 twinjets making up a large part of its fleet.

the cFm label, a guarantee oF perFormance and reliability

maintenance, a buSineSS For proS

PrOPULsION

sErVIcE

safety instructions at the beginning of the flight [the video was a global online hit], or see employees giving each other hugs all the time at headquarters, or that the boss, when accused of plagiarism by a competitor, suggested an arm-wrestling contest rather than a lawsuit.

To make each trip a pleasure, Southwest is the only low-cost carrier in the US that doesn’t

217 flights per day to Las vegas, the leading Southwest destination.


Southwest airlines at a glance• More than 3,100 flights per day• All-Boeing 737 fleet, totaling 537 aircraft• 1,146 CFM56-3 and -7B engines, or 5.5% of the total CFM56 fleet• 68 destinations• Each aircraft flies an average of 11 hours and 54 minutes/day• 1,164 married couples at Southwest

w moreFor Southwest’s view of this partnership, see the Media section on Safran’s website: www.safran-group.com

how does the CFM56 fit into Southwest’s operations?southwest placed its trust in the CFM56 right from the start. Today, it’s still the sole engine type used on

all our airplanes, which considerably simplifies maintenance operations.

how would you describe the

relationship between CFM and Southwest. In a nutshell, friendly, strategic, and based on mutual trust.

what does Southwest expect in terms of new engine offerings?We’re keeping a very close eye on the proposals made by cFm, in order to follow our business plan and make it even more efficient.

southwest airlines, cEO

w gary Kelly

charge an extra fee for checked luggage. And it will soon offer satellite WiFi connections on its planes. Its community of passengers will be the first to know when this service goes online, whether through the blog Nuts About South-west, on Twitter or on Facebook.

…

© s

outh

wes

t airl

ines

© m

essi

er s

ervi

ces

© a

nn/P

atPa

tPro

d

© s

outh

wes

t airl

ines

The new airlifter by Airbus Military is designed to handle both tactical and strategic missions.

SAFRAN AND THE AIRBUS A400M

marchésPanorama

18 _ June 2010 _ SAFRAN magazine SAFRAN magazine _ June 2010 _ 19

© s

. ram

adie

r/a

irbus

Opé

ratio

ns s

as

marchésPanorama

20 _ June 2010 _ SAFRAN magazine SAFRAN magazine _ June 2010 _ 21

Versatile and responsiveEurope’s new military transport aircraft, the airbus a400m, made its first flight on December 11, 2009. Fourteen companies in the safran group are contributing to this new airlifter, especially for its TP400 turboprop engine being produced by the Europrop International consortium. capable of short takeoffs from unprepared airfields, and certified to fly in civilian airspace, the a400m is a very versatile aircraft. It is also a high-capacity airlifter, capable of carrying 37 metric tons of freight, or 116 troops, or two Tiger helicopters – giving it a pivotal future role in the armed forces of the eight countries that have ordered the a400m to date.

1. CockpitGroup company sagem designs and produces the GPs air Data Inertial reference system (GaDIrs), a major part of the a400m’s navigation system.

2. Landing systemThis photo shows the airplane’s main landing gear under test at Group company messier-Dowty, in Vélizy, near Paris. safran also supplies the wheels and carbon brakes on the a400m.

3. TP400 under testThe huge TP400 turboprop on snecma’s open-air test cell in Istres, southwest France.

Four of these engines will power each a400m.

4. FADECBench test of a FaDEc 3 full authority digital engine control for the TP400, at Group company hispano-suiza’s Villaroche plant near Paris.

5. WiringWiring bundles for the a400m’s nose are produced at Group company Labinal’s plant in Villemur, southern France.

6. MultiroleIn addition to its military role, the a400m is also designed for a wide range of humanitarian missions. 6

© a

irbus

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r©

Jea

n-c

hris

toph

e m

orea

u/c

reat

ive

cen

ter

© a

i rbus

mi li

tary

© N

atha

lie L

ankr

y/La

bina

l

© h

ervé

Tho

urou

de/h

ispa

no-s

uiza

5

2

1

3

4

A irport security measures are evolv-ing in line with emerging threats. “Today, we must cope with a funda-mental change,” says Philippe Lemar-quand, head of strategy at Sagem

Sécurité, a Safran group company. In fact, this is a two-pronged challenge: namely, to enhance the quality of passenger checks, without slowing down the pace. Airports already involve a num-ber of controls, from check-in, to passport and ID control, to baggage inspection. According to Lemarquand, “We need to take a comprehensive approach, improving both security and passenger flows at the same time.”

© M

orph

o Det

ectio

n

Safran’s R&D teams are working to improve air travel security without slowing its growth due to long ID checks.

Now boardiNg, with maximum security

TRANSPORT

Tomography is used to reconstruct a 3D image of an object by scanning the object in “layers” from the outside. For instance, a system of this type can show a 3D image of the contents of a suitcase to see if it contains any explosive devices.

The SmartGate system at airports in Australia and New Zealand, based on facial recognition technology, won the “Janus de l’industrie” prize in 2009 from the French Design Institute.

22 _ June 2010 _ SAFrAN magazine SAFrAN magazine _ June 2010 _ 23

MARchéSMarkets

biometric gates set up at roissy-Charles de Gaulle and Orly airports in Paris since late 2009.

people have already registered to use them.

15

15,000

Guaranteed ID at your fingertips Safran carries out very active research on biometric recognition technologies. In March 2009, the Group teamed up with hitachi to develop a multimode recognition module, combining hitachi’s expertise in vein pattern imagery with Sagem Sécurité’s expertise in fingerprint data processing. The combination of these technologies will provide a system offering the world’s best fingerprint recognition technology and security.

One leading solution is the biometric gate, which groups different types of controls. Sev-eral countries are already using this technology, including Britain, where Safran has installed a system based on iris recognition, and Australia, with a system that compares passengers’ faces to photos in their e-passports. In France, auto-mated checks of this type were tested starting back in June 2005 at Roissy-Charles de Gaulle airport near Paris, under the code name Pégase. At the end of 2009, a new system called Parafes (the French acronym for “fast automated cross-ing of Schengen borders”) took over at the national level. “The gate automatically performs three checks,” explains program director Francis Weiss. “First, biometric, by comparing the pas-senger’s fingerprints with those recorded on the passport; then making sure that nobody else is present in the gate at the same time, and finally checking a ‘red list’ for wanted persons.” The time needed to check passengers in this way is sharply reduced versus the usual long waiting lines, and Safran’s system has won over thou-sands of travelers.

INSPeCTING luGGAGe AND ObJeCTSChecking passenger luggage is just as effective. Since an attempted terrorist attack at Heathrow airport in 2006, carrying liquids or gels in con-tainers larger than 100 milliliters is prohibited in the cabin. This is a real restriction for both passengers and duty free stores, one which should be removed in 2013. “Group company Morpho Detection has already marketed a system dubbed XRD, for X-ray diffraction, which identifies the chemical signature of materials inside luggage, and thus effectively identifies different threats, such as explosives,” notes Philippe Lemarquand. Another candidate technology used by the com-

pany is ITMS, or ion trap mobile spectrometry, which can simultaneously identify explosives and illicit substances via the analysis of positive and negative ions. Systems based on nuclear quad-rupole resonance can identify suspect materi-als on or in the body, without any health risks. Developed by Morpho Detection, this system can detect the presence of explosives in a shoe, for instance – without even asking the passenger to remove it!

Special attention is paid to checked luggage, and tomography-based systems have proved to be the most effective in this case. “This technology is already largely deployed in the United States,” says Yotam Margalit, explosives detection system manager at Morpho Detection, “and we recently raised the bar with new-generation detectors such as the CTX 9800 and CTX 5800, giving us unprecedented 3D image quality.” By combining this technology with XRD, Morpho Detection can offer highly reliable automated inspection systems, with very few false alarms. The latest country to acquire this technology is Israel, in February 2010. Air travel has never looked so safe!

w See explanations on following page

© S

agem

Séc

urité

MARchéS


Markets

With strengthened ID checks and the service entry of super-jumbo jets carrying up to 700 passengers, airports may become more of a bottleneck than ever. To cope with this trend, we will have to rely on high-tech automated systems. Here are some of Safran’s solutions already in service worldwide.

Passengers first register their biometric data in a passport or dedicated e-ID card, in a special room at the airport, or their local city hall. Safran already provides the biometric data registration systems for French passports.

Passengers come to a control gate with their carry-on bags. The door opens and the passenger enters. The system compares the person’s fingerprint, iris or face to the data recorded in the passport or e-card. using a combination of cameras and sensors located in the floor, the gate ensures that the person is alone. It also checks whether the person is already on a “red list”. Once the checks are completed the second door opens. elapsed time: 20 to 25 seconds.

Several Safran technologies are used to detect traces of explosives or illicit substances, such as drugs, on the person, their clothes, or in their luggage. Detection may be based on measurements of positive and negative ions (Itemiser) or vapor collected in the immediate vicinity of the product (VaporTracer). Analysis takes only about ten seconds.

Certified by the u.S. Transportation Security Administration (TSA), computer-aided tomography is a new family of products that perfectly meets the security needs of airports, with unrivaled image quality and quickness. Set up as stand-along units, or integrated in the airport’s luggage handling system, these CTX systems can now handle up to 800 suitcases per hour (CTX 9400, certified and in use in the united States).

registration

border crossings

Trace detection

explosive detection

© A

ntoi

ne D

agan

C FM International, the equal joint venture of Safran and General Elec-tric, opened its fourth training center last March, in Hyderabad, India. It joins similar facilities in Cincinnati,

Ohio (United States), Montereau, France, and Chengdu, China. Capable of providing train-ing for 500 students a year, Hyderabad will train Indian mechanics and engineers, to support operations in a country where some 320 CFM56 engines are already in service, as well as in the Middle East, Singapore, Malaysia, the Philip-pines and other neighboring regions. CFM will invest $15 million in this center over the next ten years.

According to Daniel Burton, head of cus-tomer training at Snecma (Safran group), and President of the CFM subsidiary in India, this is a very timely investment. “India’s air traffic is set for strong growth over the next fifteen years, and we are planning ahead to meet these needs.”

lOCAl SerVICeSetting up a CFM training center closer to cus-tomers facilitates their access to these services, while also reducing costs for both customers and CFM. Olivier Laroche, head of the Chengdu training center, believes that opening this facil-ity enabled the company to meet significant demand from Chinese airlines, and improve the flight safety of CFM56 engines deployed in China. The Chengdu center trained nearly 600 mechanics in the first year after it opened in 1997. The Civil Aviation Authority of China (CAAC) was very satisfied with this initiative, since few Chinese mechanics were traveling to the CFM centers in Montereau or Cincinnati for in-service training. Like its older brothers, Hyderabad will expand the scope of hands-on training offered by CFM, as Montereau general

manager Pascal Rétif explains: “In the shop, stu-dents work on actual engines, and we can also call on a complete history of incidents experi-enced by planes in service. That allows us to tailor our courses to address actual requirements in the field.”

TrAINeD TO ANTICIPATe Mechanics trained in CFM centers are capable of better anticipating system aging and keep-ing engines “on wing”. A decision to remove an engine for servicing is often due to uncertainty about component condition, and may not be jus-tified – but it’s always expensive! “Well trained mechanics guarantee maximum dispatch reli-ability for the airline, which means optimum profitability,” points out Pascal Rétif.

While the CFM training centers help con-solidate these engines’ reputation for excellence, they also support the development of a network

The latest CFM training center, in Hyderabad, India, opened in March 2010.

Hands-on training at Montereau in France.

that takes on increasing importance with the years. As Olivier Laroche says: “Through our training courses, we build customer loyalty. Pro-viding a concrete demonstration of the quality of our training can give us an edge when airlines make engine decisions on new aircraft.”

Although rarely in the spotlight, CFM train-ing centers nonetheless play an important role in building a distinctive brand image, by allow-ing each engine to deliver maximum service as long as possible. The many mechanics who will soon be graduating from the new training center in Hyderabad will soon be living proof of this.

With the opening of a training center in India, CFM is expanding its capabilities in Asia. Ongoing training is essential for technical crews, and allows airlines to make maximum use of their engines.

cFm: jet-propelled traiNiNgexPeRTISe


MARchéSMarkets

CFM56 engines sold worldwide.

different courses provided by CFM.

students trained each year by CFM.

20,000

60

2,800

w moreInfo on the new Hyderabad training center in the Media section on Safran’s website: www.safran-group.com

How would you summarize the center’s operations to date? Since opening in 1994, we’ve already provided training for more than 8,000 people. In 2009 alone, the center welcomed 700 to 800 mechanics and engineers. And this figure is growing steadily, because chengdu is now recognized as a

benchmark in our field. We are seeing a growing number of people from Southeast Asian countries, including South Korea, Mongolia and Singapore. Have you seen any changes in the kinds of training requested? I have taught cFM56-3 and -7 maintenance for almost a dozen years. We’ve reduced

the time needed for flight line maintenance training to only five days, instead of eight previously. Our customers also want special courses on troubleshooting. Since we’re seeing ongoing growth in this type of demand, we are now designing an appropriate training course, which we plan to launch this year. I also want to emphasize that the quality of our services extends beyond the cFM56. For instance we were recently contacted by Turbomeca (Safran group), who wanted to take advantage of our facilities to provide helicopter engine maintenance training.

cFM, instructor, chengdu, china

w taNg QiNgru

© S

necm

a

© P

hilip

pe S

trop

pa/S

afra

n

© D

R

MARchéS

S ix o’clock in the morning … or even earlier! The work day often starts well before sunrise at Boeing’s huge plants in Everett and Renton, near Seattle, Washington. Safran’s staff is of course

on Boeing time as well, including French expats Nicolas Cathelin and Thomas Durollet, and American Nick Nelson. They are obviously on the same schedule as everybody at Boeing. At stake is a major program that the giant plane-maker will be overseeing for decades to come, the new-generation 787 Dreamliner commercial jet.

“Safran provides the main landing gear for the 787,” notes Nick Nelson from Messier-Dowty, who is in charge of landing gear assembly. “The Messier-Bugatti (Safran group) wheels are fitted with tires by Boeing, who sends this assembly to us. We take direct delivery of the electric brakes, designed by Messier-Bugatti, and landing gear wir-ing from Labinal, also a Safran company. We then assemble all these components on the gear legs that are shipped from the Messier-Dowty Toronto plant, and we deliver the integrated landing gear to a Boeing assembly line just a couple blocks away.” By “we”, Nick Nelson means his team, comprising two technicians, an inspector and a quality engi-neer. This five-man team delivers two landing gear sets per month to Boeing. Since production of the 787 involves rolling the plane from one assembly station to another, the on-time delivery of landing gear is vital to keep the line moving.

“We are totally obsessed with delivering the hard-ware on time and in perfect condition,” emphasizes Nick. “Sometimes we have to be flexible to cope with the emergencies that seem to crop up all the time. For instance, we’ve even had to take delivery of parts on a Sunday morning, so we could deliver the complete landing gear on Tuesday.”

Mutual trustBoeing traditionally produced all systems for its aircraft in-house, including the landing gear. With the 787, however, the plane-maker contin-

labinal supplies the wiring for the Dreamliner’s landing gear.

Installing the carbon brakes.

Attaching the wheel to the brake assembly. Installing the strut.

A complete landing gear being trucked to the boeing final assembly plant.

ues its transformation by increasingly transferring responsibility for major subassemblies to Tier 1 suppliers. “This marks a deep change in the cor-porate culture,” notes Nicolas Cathelin, the Mess-ier-Bugatti representative in Everett. “We have to be absolutely flawless in our relations with the airframer, and that depends on establishing rela-tions of mutual trust with everybody involved in the program, from the fitters and quality inspec-tors on the line, to the flight test teams.” Nico-las Cathelin is responsible for technical support of all Safran wheels and brakes. “My job also involves marketing to a certain extent, on behalf of Messier-Bugatti, as well as logistics aspects, such as facilitating the customs procedures for various parts shipped from France.” He operates out of a building just a stone’s throw from Boeing’s plants, alongside other Safran entities, including Tech-nofan, Safran Electronics and, since early March, the Messier-Dowty team headed by Nick Nelson.

Thomas Durollet, the on-site Messier-Bugatti program manager for Boeing Commercial pro-grams, also has his office in this building, as he explains: “My presence here can be traced back to when Boeing set up an actual joint program plat-form during the development of the 787. Today, I work on all aircraft under development, starting with the Dreamliner. The 787 is now being flight tested, and there are still adjustments to be made on the systems we supply, with the help of Safran Power, in charge of the braking control systems. I’m also heavily involved in two other programs, namely carbon brakes for the Boeing 737, and the tire pressure and brake temperature monitoring system for the Boeing 747-8.”


Markets

Safran supplies the Boeing 787 Dreamliner’s landing gear. We traveled to the Boeing plant in Everett, near Seattle, to talk with three of Safran’s key actors in this partnership.

makiNg dreamliNers come true

eQUIPMeNT

The boeing 787 under test Six 787 Dreamliners will be used for flight testing, three equipped with wheels and electric brakes by Messier, and two outfitted by Goodrich. The first aircraft had a mixed configuration: Messier-Bugatti on the right, Goodrich on the left! Twelve production-standard aircraft have already been built or are being assembled.

Even though the Everett plant is just a few blocks away, most contacts are by phone or videoconfer-ence. “Many decisions are made in meetings at Boeing, and barely a day goes by when I don’t take part in a meeting on the 787,” adds Thomas Durol-let. Program reviews are organized weekly, and teams meet on a quarterly basis at Everett or Vélizy (near Paris, Messier headquarters in France).

© V

ince

Str

eano

/ c

reat

ive

cen

ter

© V

ince

Str

eano

/ c

reat

ive

cen

ter

© V

ince

Str

eano

/ c

reat

ive

cen

ter

© T

hom

as D

urol

let

© V

ince

Str

eano

/ c

reat

ive

cen

ter

T he people at Sagem Industries’ Fougères plant have a corporate culture steeped in meeting challenges,” says Philippe Gaulier, and he should know! Now head of logistics for the Safran group,

he was also in charge of logistics for Sagem Mobiles, former owner of the plant now managed by Sagem Industries. He’s in the ideal spot to observe the success of this latest metamorphosis. Origi-nally founded in the 1970s to manufacture telex machines, the Fougères plant subsequently made fax machines, car dashboards, payment terminals, set-top boxes and, starting in 1995, mobile phones. Through 2008, it would roll out some 100 million phones. But when Safran divested its mobile phone business, this activity at the plant was shut down. However, Safran would never divest the plant itself,

according to CEO Jean-Paul Herteman: “The Fougères plant is a real gem because of its exper-tise in logistics and industrial processes. No matter what happens, we will keep it running.”

SkIllS AND CreATIVITyThe plant offers the major assets needed to success-fully complete its redeployment, as described by gen-eral manager Jean-Paul Trabis: “Over the last thirty years we have built up considerable expertise in four major areas, namely production engineering, indus-trial support, logistics and the fabrication of printed circuit boards.” In addition, Fougères offers enviable creativity and energy. Since the creation of the Safran group, the plant’s employees have submit-ted the most improvement ideas within the scope of the Group’s participative innovation program:

Overall view of the printed circuit board finishing shop, which packages and inspects these electronic devices.

more than ten ideas per person per year, on aver-age. To ensure the success of this major changeover, plant management launched a large-scale training program in 2009, totaling 42,500 hours. About 60 employees are currently seconded to other sites as well. “We want to hone our expertise in the sub-contracted production of electronics parts made in small runs or even single prototype units,” explains human resources head Robert Di Tommaso. eleCTrONICS DrIVeNThese extensive efforts are quickly bearing fruit. Fellow Safran company Turbomeca chose Sagem Industries to handle the logistics for half of its spare parts, as well as the pool of replacement engines and modules. “We have achieved excellent on-time deliv-ery, at slightly lower cost,” notes Philippe Gaulier. At the same time, Sagem also chose this site to handle certain production duties for the FELIN system (see article on page 32), including assembly of non-optical terminals, finishing operations on parts and manage-ment of the logistics platform.

But the plant is above all counting on its elec-tronics expertise to ensure its long-term viability. In the words of Yves Riollet, head of the defense business, “We understand the processes, technolo-gies and testing techniques, as well as everything to do with electronics finishing, varnishes and thermal cycling.” Sagem has already tasked Fougères with fabrication of printed circuit boards for products such as the AASM guided weapon deployed by Rafale fighters, sights and navigation system sen-sors. By developing this business, Safran will be able to offset the end of the residual mobile phone packaging operations, before setting off to win new customers. “Of course, we eventually plan to win contracts from companies outside the Group,” con-cludes Jean-Paul Trabis.

The 700 employees at a Sagem Industries plant had the dynamic mindset needed to quickly adapt to changes in the Group, while bringing to the table their expertise and ability to innovate.

story oF a successFul redeploymeNt

PRODUcTION


MARchéSMarkets

continuous improvement initiatives now encompass more than 1,000 people.

of daily shipments of engines or modules for Turbomeca are urgent, to repair a grounded aircraft (AOG, or Aircraft On Ground). They have to leave the Sagem Industries plant within two hours, and get to the customer as quickly as possible, anywhere in the world.

112

20%

Safran’s corporate management kept a close eye on the industrial redeployment of the Sagem Industries plant. Its current business diversification clearly reflects

management’s commitment to maintaining employment and skills. “An extensive training program allowed us to meet this challenge,” says Dominique-Jean chertier.

This initiative also clearly illustrates the corporate social responsibility (cSR) stance that guides Safran day to day. “What we did in Fougères reflects our social solidarity, but it’s also a bet on the future,” adds chertier. “The employees at this plant are a key to Safran’s development in other business sectors.” In fact, the redeployment of Fougères shows how the Group’s values are actually applied in the real world.

w moreSpotlight on Sagem Industries’ logistics expertise in the Media section on Safran’s website: www.safran-group.com

“

Safran, executive Board member, Social, Legal and Institutional Affairs

w domiNiQue-jeaN chertier

betting on the future

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r

© S

téph

ane

de B

ourg

ies/

Aba

ca p

ress

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r©

Jea

n-Fr

anço

is D

amoi

s/c

reat

ive

cen

ter

T he first 1,000 FELIN (Fantassin à Equipements et Liaisons Intégrés) integrated systems are being deliv-ered to the French army this summer, with another 1,000 to follow in the

autumn. Starting in 2011, deliveries will ramp up to 4,000 a year, and will continue at this rate through 2015. Sagem, a Safran group company, will deliver a total of more than 22,500 FELIN systems to the French army. These concrete delivery dates reflect Sagem’s significant head start over its competitors. Pascal Brossard, sales & marketing chief at Sagem’s Land Combat department, explains: “We’re the only vendor now offering a completely operational soldier modernization system, and capable of volume production. Several European countries have launched similar programs, but they’re still talking in the future tense, and have only built prototypes or a few units to date. Our produc-tion lines are up and running at our Poitiers and Fougères plants, and FELIN will quickly be deployed in theaters of operation worldwide.”

The FELIN soldier modernization program gives infantry soldiers a state-of-the-art integrated equipment suite that enhances their efficiency across the board, from self-protection and observation to communications and combat.

FreNch army deploys FeliN

DeFeNSe


MARchéSMarkets

Strong, light, ergonomic and practical, with a loose cut for greater comfort, while also reducing the soldier’s thermal and visual signatures. It can be fitted with additional ballistic protection, tailored to the type of mission, which resists knives and armor-piercing bullets. The overall design integrates feedback from current conflicts.

Much more than just a pair of binoculars! These goggles offer day/night vision, of course but also the ability to transmit images up the command chain, designate a target and transmit it to other members of the unit, or measure distance using the integrated range-finding function.

Placed on the helmet, this “remote” sight enables the soldier to see his weapon’s line-of-sight without exposing himself to danger. The soldier can also display the image from his weapon’s sight on his computer screen. Connections are wired for now, but a wireless bluetooth connection is also under study.

The scope is attached to the weapon and comes in two versions: the image intensifier version allows soldiers to see at night, as well as in the daytime. The infrared (Ir) version detects heat sources night or day. Two different models are available, one for infantry soldiers and the other for sharpshooters. The Famas assault rifle used in the FelIN system is fitted with a remote-control grip, enabling soldiers to control their radio or scope, or take a picture without having to put down their weapon (since an assault rifle is always held in both hands).

The heart of the FelIN system is a small processing unit that manages energy use, radio links, image transmission and data security, plus interconnections between all subsystems. A cable connects it to a small screen, about the size of a PDA (personal data assistant). Powered by two lithium-ion batteries, the processing unit offers run time of 24 hours. An osteophone headset, which transmits sound via vibrations through bones, enables soldiers to talk to each other over their radios while still keeping an ear on surrounding sounds. The radio/GPS unit is very simple, with only two buttons: one to communicate with command units, the other with members of one’s own group. It also regularly transmits information on the soldier’s position to command units.

Combat uniform

Night vision goggles

Around-the-corner sighting

Weapon and sight

Communications system

SITCOMDe – terminal information system for dismounted warfightersA portable “onboard” computer for platoon leaders. They can use this touchscreen tablet to see the position of their troops, receive photos, or get instructions from command centers, as well as giving orders and writing reports. It’s the basic building block for the command level information system. ©

Sag

em


MARchéS MARchéSMarkets Insight

I f the Safran Open 60* ocean racer is now considered the boat to beat in its class, it is undoubtedly because the eponymous spon-sor did not simply finance the construction and operation of the boat. In fact, the Safran

group has capitalized on its technical and meth-odological expertise in a wide range of aerospace programs to build a very successful racing yacht.

One of the decisive factors in this success was setting up an entity similar to the project team created to oversee any industrial program. Dubbed “Safran Sixty”, this entity is in charge of coordi-nating all Safran employees who contribute to the project, and acts as liaison between the Group’s experts, the naval architects, the shipyard and the crew headed by Marc Guillemot, the skipper of Safran. This setup is a clear illustration of the teamwork and networking that are characteristic of the entire Safran group.

THe QuAlITy IMPerATIVeThere is another major similarity between the working environment at Safran and the prerequi-site for success in ocean racing: an absolute quality imperative. As Safran Sixty project manager Jean-Marie de la Porte explains, “Beyond the initial design and construction phase, Safran engineers and technicians contribute to ongoing improve-ment initiatives, as well as checking and analyzing the boat after each race.”

Of course, the Safran Sixty racing team and the Safran group do not only share techniques and methods. They also share certain values, starting with determination and courage, exemplified by Marc Guillemot as the skipper of Safran. There is also a real spirit of solidarity, clearly illustrated during the Vendée Globe round-the-world race in 2009, when Marc came to the aid of an injured competitor Yann Eliès. Another key quality is perseverance – one that is needed in any sport, of course, but especially during a transatlantic sail-

ing race. Marc’s victory in the last Transat Jacques Vabre is an excellent example of this quality.

Teams at both Safran Sixty and Safran are highly motivated for the next phase in the opera-tion. For example, Michel Nollet, systems architect at Sagem, is looking forward to a key upcoming technology challenge: “We’ll be testing a fuel cell prototype in sea trials this spring, to further enhance the boat’s performance.” Safran has to

keep upping its performance if it wants to stay ahead of the pack, since the hull mold has since been used to construct other boats, which will be redoubtable competitors in the near future.

* A 60-foot monohull racing sailboat class, run by the govern-ing body IMOCA, the International Monohull Open Class Association.

Safran in dry dock during the winter 2010 refit.

FelIN-equipped soldiers during an urban warfare exercise.

Through technology transfers between the worlds of industry and competitive sailing, Safran has supported the design of a sleek racing yacht that is now the benchmark in its class.

ridiNg the wave oF success

SAILING

Has the FelIN system already been used in an operational environment? In 2009, the FeLIN system underwent six months of battlefield trials with four seasoned regiments: the chad Mechanized Infantry Regiment, 8th Marine Infantry Paratrooper Regiment, 13th Mountain Infantry Battalion and, to a more limited degree the 1st Infantry Regiment. Their troops tested the system at different training facilities, such as Mourmelon, the shooting instruction and training center

and the urban zone training center, which duplicates all the pitfalls of combat in a village, as well as during field trials in French Guiana and Djibouti.

What were the conclusions of these battlefield tests? FeLIN is a reliable system, and in general meets the operational requirement. For example, it increased engagement range by 60% in the daytime, and 100% at night. Users greatly appreciated its night sighting capabilities, via image intensifier or infrared detector. however, a

few adjustments are still needed concerning the ergonomic design of certain subsystems.

What are the next steps in the deployment of FelIN? For the moment, our priority is to complete the system’s technical definition and deliver it to the first regiment so they can get used to it. In early 2011, we will carry out a series of tactical tests to determine if the introduction of FeLIN requires a change in our infantry soldier deployment strategy. We will also take advantage of these tests to check every link in the chain, by which I mean not just its performance, but also its robustness, integration in the digital battlespace, support, etc.

DGA (Direction Générale de l’Armement), French defense procurement agency, director of the FeLIN program

w laureNt barraco

A SCAleAble SySTeMFELIN is a complete integrated system for infantry soldiers, boosting their capabilities in self-protection, observation, communications, engagement and mobility. The system comprises about one hundred separate elements, includ-ing optronic sight, combat uniform, radio, bat-teries, computer and NBC (nuclear, biological, chemical) protective gear. As prime contractor, Sagem designed a complete, integrated system, based on comprehensive testing under opera-tional conditions, in close collaboration with the French armed forces and defense procure-ment agency DGA. “The army was afraid that we were going to design an ‘engineers’ system, with each component being developed in isola-tion,” says Pascal Brossard. “On the contrary, from the beginning we made sure that the sys-tem was adapted to the specific demands of the combat environment. In particular, we focused heavily on its ergonomic design, so that the sys-tem would be simple and intuitive to use under all circumstances, and very discreet.”

In addition to France, Sagem has also won a contract from the Swiss army, known for its demanding standards. Other countries, particu-larly in Eastern Europe, the Middle East and the Asia-Pacific, have indicated their intention of deploying similar systems. “FELIN reflects a changing attitude at government and individual

levels,” notes Brossard. “Of course, everybody knows that wars are dangerous, but public opin-ion is increasingly intolerant of casualties and, above, all, fails to understand why governments and armed forces have not taken all necessary measures to protect their warfighters.”

However, expectations and needs still vary from country to country. FELIN was therefore designed to be easily adaptable to the require-ments of different export clients. “For instance, we tested our optronic sights on a variety of weapons,” adds Brossard. In one form or another, FELIN could well wind up being deployed by many other armed forces around the world.

FelIN systems ordered to date by French army.

22,500

November 2008- February 2009: Marc Guillemot finishes third in the vendée globe.

June 2009 Marc Guillemot and crew win the record sNsm (Saint-Nazaire/Saint-Malo) in the 60-foot class.

November 2009Marc Guillemot and Charles Caudrelier win the transat jacques vabre.

Top finishes

w moreInfo on Safran’s boat sponsorship at www.safransixty.com

© D

R

© S

agem

© J

ean-

Mar

ie L

iot/

DP

PI/S

afra

n


marchésInsight

Paris, avenue de new York, 2:30 Pm. “There’s no such thing as a perfect crime.” That’s what I learned at police school. But did the older officers really believe that? Today, I’m beginning to have my doubts. We’ve been in this apartment for over five hours now. It’s got a beautiful view over-looking the Seine, and plenty of space, about 150 square meters I’d say. But then there’s that beauti-ful young woman stretched out on the carpet in the hallway. From where I stand, you might think she was asleep. But she’s dead, stone cold dead. Which is only natural I guess, since she took a bullet right in the heart, from pointblank range. No weapons found in the apartment of course, and no other clues. It seems to have been a thoroughly professional job; what you might call a very pre-meditated murder.

My colleagues have gone through everything with a fine-tooth comb, and I have to say our equipment is really state-of-the-art. We no long er have to spend hours in the basement back at HQ comparing fingerprints. We’ve got the MetaMor-pho system by Sagem Sécurité. We were on the crime scene right away, ready to use this auto-mated palm and fingerprint identification sys-tem, or APFIS, which turns us all into experts. It calls on cutting-edge technologies, especially the most powerful algorithms in the world. In just a few short minutes, the system is ready to roll: a camera and PC hooked up, and we can access the central database in real time. Through Sagem Sécurité’s LiveScan system and MorphoEVA soft-ware, we have already collected tens of millions of fingerprints, and now we can compare then to any traces left at the scene of the crime. No more paper, everything is electronic.

But for this to work, the criminal has to leave a trace. And whoever committed the crime knew what they were doing. They took the weapon of course, but they also made sure not to leave any prints. They shot her right in the hallway, and

didn’t touch anything except the door – and they wore gloves to close it, since we didn’t pick up any prints on the knob. All we know is that the young lady must have been expecting someone and opened the door, because there are no signs of a break-in. It looks like we’ll have to leave without finding the slightest clue. I’m going to “lock down” the premises, as we say, but for the moment it’s just for the sake of form. Remember that game we all used to play as kids, hide & seek? Well, in this case we’re not getting hot, we’re still very, very cold.

Paris, Quai des orfèvres, 5:00 Pm My men sometimes seem to have a sixth sense. I didn’t see it right away, but there was a tiny surveillance camera, hidden in a corner of the lobby. And because a foreign diplomat lives in the building, the camera is connected directly to a private security company, who were able to help us right away. I sent an inspector there to see everything filmed by the camera since mid-night. No use going back any further, since the medical examiner says the crime was commit-

ted early this morning. Of course, the murderer could have been a neighbor, but almost nobody was in the building, and there’s nothing to indi-cate this was the case.

- Hello. - We looked through all the video recordings.

Four people entered the building from 5 to 8 am, and one of them left exactly six minutes later.

- Masked? - No. - Bring me the video, we’ll run it through

MorphoFace Investigate. MorphoFace Investigate is an automated

facial recognition system developed by Sagem Sécurité, using a database comprising known criminals, as well as missing or wanted persons. It enables us to identify faces even if they’re not seen straight on. I have to admit that it’s consid-erably reduced the time we need to search for a match – and multiplied our efficiency.

The guy who entered the building this morn-ing isn’t the milkman! In fact, he’s a profes-sional well known to Interpol. But he’s not

Solving crimes has come a long way since Alphonse Bertillon* … But the basic principle remains the same, since no two persons are ever alike. And Safran is there to tell the difference.

On the case… with safran!

IDENTIFIcaTION

somebody who operates on his own… After all, that would make things way too simple!

Philippe François

* alphonse Bertillon (1853 – 1914), a French criminologist who founded the first criminal identification laboratory in 1870, and invented the “Bertillon system”, a “biometric” identification method based on fingerprints and facial photos that was used throughout Europe and in the United states.

safran, partner to the fBiIn 2009, safran was chosen by the world-famous FBI (Federal Bureau of Investigation) of the United states to supply a new automated fingerprint identification system (aFIs) connected to its database that comprises tens of millions of fingerprints. “This will be the largest police aFIs in the world,” says Frédéric Biarnes, head of aFIs solutions at sagem sécurité. Every day, it will carry out tens of thousands of searches. and the data volume will keep growing, since the FBI intends to expand its database to include facial and iris recognition. Once again, safran will be offering its expertise in this area. “With not only fingerprints, but also the iris, portraits and perhaps even DNa some day, the concept of identification has considerably expanded its scope,” adds Biarnes.

CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CR

CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO NOT CROSS - CRIME SCENE - DO

© T

hink

stoc

k

© T

hink

stoc

k

© T

hink

stoc

k

© m

. Deu

tsch

/Zef

a/G

raph

icO

bses

sion

Three Group employees with very different backgrounds share their vision of Safran and what they hope to accomplish in their new companies.

snapshOts Of the new generatiOn

rEcrUITmENT


marchésMarchésmarchésInsight

romain Mouchet, 25, mechanical engineer, snecma

after graduating from the Ecole des mines de Nancy engineering school, and the Kungliga Tekniska högskolan (royal Institute of Technology) in stockholm, romain mouchet joined snecma in august 2009 for an internship where he tackled aeroelasticity issues. “at the end of my internship, I let my supervisors know that I was very interested in working for safran. I interviewed with corporate hr and immediately accepted their job offer with the engineering division of snecma,” he recalls. Today, romain is working on various projects for advanced fan and open-rotor concepts – “futuristic engines, consuming far less fuel than today’s models, which could hit the market in 2020 or 2025,” he explains enthusiastically.

“It’s easy to become part of safran, even when you’re just an intern,” romain adds. “Everybody helps everybody else, and the atmosphere is very relaxed.” Looking ahead, this young engineer knows one thing for sure: he wants to remain in aerospace. “I still have lots of time. But I have a real taste for technology, and I want to move up to management positions.” he also knows that safran offers extensive opportunities for career development, including changing jobs or even countries.

ramona Kok, 31, technical support engineer, Turbomeca canada

ramona Kok was already very familiar with Turbomeca when she joined the company’s canadian facility in December 2009. Between previous stints at Turbomeca australasia in 2004, then Turbomeca Usa in 2007, the young sino-malaysian woman had discovered other horizons, while still retaining a passion for aeronautics. “I worked for other companies, but then I had the opportunity to rejoin Turbomeca, and the international aspect was a deciding factor,” she says. Today, ramona is in charge of technical support for the company’s canadian customers, and is also working with them to develop a monitoring system for helicopter engines, “to help us reduce maintenance costs and increase dispatch reliability.”

One of her defining traits is an equal hunger for knowledge and culture, as she notes: “I would like to diversify my activity, to have the opportunity to meet many different people and cultures and to face new challenges. I want to see what the world has to offer!” safran’s international scope and diverse business portfolio is very important for this young engineer. “Being part of such a large group is already a very enriching experience,” concludes ramona.

raphaël Jarraud, 30, system manager, sagem

raphaël Jarraud joined sagem in 2008 after working for missile manufacturer mBDa. “I wanted to specialize in inertial navigation, and sagem was the benchmark in this field, so I naturally applied for a job there. ” Today, raphaël is working on the LINs-rs (Laser Inertial Navigation system-rPKB sagem), designed jointly with rPKB of russia. This project aims to develop an inertial navigation system for sukhoi fighters sold in export markets. “my job is to draw up the specifications for the inertial system to match customer requirements,” says raphaël. “Then I monitor technical aspects of the product during the design phase.”

he appreciates the work climate at sagem, noting “The different disciplines work closely together. and the development pace is fast, with cycles only two or three years long.” raphaël’s objective is clear: to earn the title of Expert within the safran group. “I realize that this will take time, since I’m only starting out,” he acknowledges. But he’s already writing data sheets on various technical subjects to help others better understand them. “I came to sagem so I could work with leading experts in their field. Now it’s up to me to join their ranks.”

s afran continues to recruit new tal-ents, whether recent graduates or more experienced staff, to support its global development. Because of its wide variety of business sectors, loca-

tions, products and professions, Safran offers a very broad spectrum of job opportunities and career development possibilities. We talked to three new recruits, all passionate about tech-

nology, but with different backgrounds, moti-vations and ambitions. Romain, Ramona and Raphaël reflect not only the breadth and depth of Safran’s workforce, but also the extensive mobility possibilities offered by the Group.

w More“Careers” section in the safran website: www.safran-group.com

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r

© P

atric

k a

udin

et /

saf

ran

© J

ean-

Fran

çois

Dam

ois/

cre

ativ

e c

ente

r

marchésInterview


As a global industrial group, Safran operates within a complex and ever-changing economic, social and political environment. All of these fac-ets must be integrated by Safran to continue its winning strategy and make the right decisions in terms of investment, expansion, commerce and industry. This approach helps guide the Group and underpins its understanding of the challenges involved. At the same time, it forces the Group to continually anticipate upcoming industrial trends. Safran tackles these issues by closely observing its environment, and by calling on the opinions of leading experts, including analysts, economists and historians.

safran magazine: Like most econo-mists, you see the financial bubble as the main cause of the current crisis. But are there also deeper reasons for this reces-sion? Nicolas Baverez: The globalization crisis has three main causes: a lax monetary policy by the United States, which encouraged both house-holds and companies to pile up debt; a cascade of financial bubbles built on assets; and a struc-tural imbalance between the flows of goods and capital, encouraged by an anarchic foreign exchange market. The bubbles that propagated from real estate to the entire credit market, then to commodities, ultimately burst, causing gigantic deflation through debt. This in turn led to the failure of the banking system, which, because of globalization, engendered a global economic crisis via the collapse in demand and a credit freeze in the fall of 2008. The upshot was a recession such as we hadn’t seen since the 1930s, rampant bankruptcies, and a wave of

layoffs (8.4 million in the United States alone). Two sectors were especially hard hit, construc-tion and the manufacturing industry. In France, manufacturing underwent an especially harsh correction, with production down more than 15% and investments plunging by 30%. The secondary sector was also heavily impacted, recording 42% of all layoffs, although it only accounts for 11% of jobs.

The crisis has in fact spotlighted deep, endur-ing changes, starting with a slowdown in the growth rate of developed countries. Limited to 1.5% for this past decade, versus 3.4% world-wide and 6% for emerging countries, this rate will not exceed 1% during the 2010s. There is a divide between the United States, which opted for devaluation and inflation to preserve growth – expected to exceed 3% in 2010 – and employment, with 162,000 new jobs in February, and Europe, penalized by an aging population, over-indebtedness and lack of competitiveness. There is also an economic divide within the euro zone, between Germany, which restored its industrial competitiveness thanks to the reforms of its Agenda 2010, and the other

“The two keys to growth in European employment are investment in higher education and research, and support for industry.”nicolas Baverez

Economist, historian, writer and lawyer, Nicolas Baverez seeks to analyze the major transformations impacting the world, including the capitalism that has become nearly universal since the fall of the Berlin wall, and democracy. His latest book, Après le Déluge*, analyzes the crisis of globalization, and delves into the complex issues involved. For Safran Magazine, he shares his thoughts on how to sustain a strong industry in today’s economy.

EmErging from thE crisis: focus on industry

Interview with nicolas Baverez, editorial writer for Le Monde, Les Echos and Le Point.

Decrease in investment by the french manufacturing sector in 2008.

Professor of economic and social sciences

advisor to Philippe seguin, Chairman of the national assembly

PhD in history Director of Communications and Development, fimalac (financial services group)

Law degree, Paris bar

30%

1983 19931986 1995 1998

* Après le Déluge, Essai sur la crise de la Mondialisation, Paris, Perrin, 2009

© L

éa c

resp

i

countries. Furthermore, tensions exist between banks and non-financial enterprises.

In practice, how have our economies responded to these upheavals? N. B.: Governments had learned their lessons from previous crises in the 20th Century, and responded effectively to the deflationist shock by saving banks, by supporting business through stimulus plans, and by containing protectionist impulses. But, despite the creation of the G20, these policies remain essentially national, and will not address the challenges entailed by the end of the crisis, namely coordinating monetary and budgetary strategies to avoid a return to deflation; reindustrializing the developed world; regulating the financial sector; and reducing the structural imbalances of globalization. In other words, while the management of the crisis proved effective, and avoided a 1930s style depression, the strategy for the end of the crisis is still largely up in the air.

The most crucial point concerns the develop-ment of the economic model for globalization,


marchésInterview

safran has proved resilient to current economic conditions, as shown by its results. Our roadmap is based on investing in production, as we did in 2009, with capital expenditures totaling 300 million euros to modernize our current production facilities, as well as expanding to new locations both in France and abroad. all of these investments reflect a

holistic approach. a significant share of our sales are in U.s. dollars, so we have to invest in the dollar zone to reduce the cost of products intended for export markets. however, we are also clearly maintaining our research and technology capabilities in our legacy sites. safran’s investment policy is of course in line with

French government policy, in particular through the strategic Investment Fund, which provides equity support for our subcontractors (e.g., the aerofund programs). Likewise, the French bond issue to finance a stimulus plan includes support for the French aerospace industry. Because our industry features a cross-linked structure with many partnerships, the impact of this plan will be felt well beyond the scope of safran, in particular through efforts to built foundations for the future (with research organizations such as Onera, the French national scientific research agency cNrs, and partners in academia).

safran, Executive Board member, Economic and Financial affairs

Investing to build foundations for the future

w ross mcinnEs

which saw the co-existence of countries taking on massive debt to consume and import (United States, United Kingdom, Spain, Ireland), with others saving to invest and export, like China, Germany, Japan and South Korea. The crisis has thus considerably widened the gap in growth rates, with Europe at 1% and the U.S. at 2%, versus 10.5% in China, 8% in India and 6% in Brazil. Furthermore, the South, led by China, has filled the vacuum left by developed countries to place its champions in leadership positions in a number of business sectors, and to take control of many strategic assets, energy sources and com-modities.

New growth engines for the 21st Century must be sought in the transition of emerging countries towards mass consumption, in green industries and in the knowledge economy.

The rebalancing which is indispensable for these new engines of growth depends on normal-izing emerging economies – the convertibility of China’s yuan in particular – and creating social protection that will help lower savings rates in the South and thus energize consumption. At

the same time, countries in the North must absolutely reconnect with a sense of production, investment and innovation by reindustrializing.

Will industry continue to play a decisive role, even in countries whose economy is described as “post-industrial”? N. B.: For developed countries industry is the key to a sustainable recovery, but above all to redefining their position in a globalized world. To return to the path of long-term growth and full employment we have to innovate, and for that we have to produce, because we can only reap what we actually produce. Germany is an excellent example, because it is now the devel-oped country in the best position to take advan-tage of the recovery, due to the strength of its industry.

This situation means that we need a major shift in our economic policies. Monetary policy can no longer pretend that it has a monopoly on managing economic activity; it has to be combined with budgetary, fiscal and industrial strategies. Currency exchange markets can no longer be left to themselves, unless we want to run the risk of protectionist measures. The flight against inflation cannot ignore the price of assets and speculative bubbles. Productive investment and commercial employment must be given top priority. Talents and long-term sav-ings must be redirected to industrial enterprises, and in particular to innovative small businesses.

Under these conditions, what position should Europe take? N. B.: Today, Europe is threatened not only by “stag-deflation” Japanese style, but is also at risk of being shunted aside by globalization. It could find itself in a secondary position, well behind not only a “G2” comprising the United States and China, but also behind India, Brazil and even Indonesia. Mexico and South Africa. Europe’s growth potential is rapidly slipping, as is its place in world trade (from 38% to 12% of exports to China and India since 1975). Public debt will equal GDP in 2012. Faced with the Greek crisis, euroland showed that it had nei-ther the institutions nor the rules enabling it to manage an internal or external shock. Above all, Europe has instituted a set of procedures and standards (monetary, financial and legal, mostly concerning competition, accounting, social and environmental issues, etc.) that favor neither production nor innovation.

Europe is clearly at a turning point in its his-

tory, as it faces the challenge of questioning the old certainties and reinventing itself. We could go down a road with countries withdraw-ing into themselves and a Malthusian economy winning out, as Europe exits the global econ-omy and, in a sense, History. Or Europe could relaunch itself, which implies an economic governance of the euro zone, associated with budgetary discipline and solidarity, revamped central bank rules and strategy, and making the continent’s competitiveness a priority, with the actual application of the Lisbon strategy that has laid dormant for a decade. Acceleration of economic integration, mobility of people and capital, investment in higher education and research and support for industry – these are the keys to growth and employment in Europe, and therefore the future of the continent as we enter the age of universal history that charac-terizes the 21st Century.

“Industry is the key to a sustainable recovery…” for instance, safran’s capital investments totaled €300 million in 2009. This photo shows the new helicopter engine plant in Bordes (france).

© E

tienn

e Fo

llet/

Turb

omec

a

© G

il Le

fauc

onni

er/s

afra

n

March 17, 2010 / Jean-Paul Herteman, CEO of Safran, and Felipe Calderon Hinojosa, President of Mexico (photo), inaugurated the Group’s new plant in Querétaro, Mexico, which includes facilities for both Snecma and Messier-Dowty. Safran has operated in Mexico for more than 20 years, through Labinal, Sagem Sécurité, Sagem Orga and Messier Services. With this latest expansion, Safran bolsters its position as the country’s leading aerospace employer, and consolidates its strategic presence in the market. Furthermore, 2010 is the Year of Mexico in France, a program chaired by Jean-Paul Herteman that features a number of special events.

Safran opens new plant in Mexico

© A

dria

n M

ontè

s / S

afra

n

Documents

Safrane Magazine - June 2010 - No.8