The Spirit of Innovation
Strategy and Vision
As a global leader in aerospace and defense technology, EADS develops technologies to help define the future of our industry. Technology is the tool for achieving the EADS Vision 2020 and technology leadership through innovation is therefore a permanent driver for EADS and it is key for for ensuring that the company’s future business will be a success.
In our industry, the pace of the competition is permanently intensifying — the main players are moving to the market faster, and new players are coming up, especially in Asia. The time-to-market for breakthrough technologies is decreasing, while the integration of technologies becomes as important as the individual breakthrough technologies themselves.
As the Chief Technical Officer, my mission is to be the focal point for EADS Research & Technology and for innovation across EADS. I also steer the EADS-wide harmonisation of transversal technical processes, methods and tools, and skills development programmes and I carry out specific technical assessments on behalf of the CEO and the EADS Executive Committee.
Both the Chief Quality Officer and the Chief Information Officer are part of my organization, since Innovation is not only about Research and Technology but also about increased quality and optimized information and production processes.
Fundamentally, our Research & Technology strategy is to drive the emergence and development of new aerospace and defence technologies to maturity, to help EADS and its divisions meet the evolving needs of customers in our home markets and emerging markets. Our Research & Technology strategy creates the company’s technology portfolio and aligns it with the business strategy. It has a clear focus on growing markets and the key technologies for a successful on-time, on-quality, on-price introduction of new products and services.
We keep the innovation pipeline constantly full to replace ageing technologies and processes. Our researchers are developing technologies which are directly related to the requirements of today’s society: - enhanced mobility, security and environmental best practice. We always keep in mind the needs of our customers as well as the maintainability and the life-cycle costs of our products.
The skilled EADS workforce is our real treasure. We recognize that the technical expertise of our employees is of vital importance for a successful future. Together with our Human Resources department, it is a key job for me as the Chief Technical Officer to keep this expertise at the appropriate level and to strengthen our competencies by developing and managing our R&T employees.
Yours sincerely,
Jean Botti
Dr. Jean J. Botti
Prior to assuming the position of EADS Chief Technical Officer in May 2006, Dr. Botti served as the business line executive for Powertrain and Executive Director Fuel Cells with Delphi Corporation. Dr. Botti began his career in 1978 at Renault and became Senior Project Engineer at Renault’s Saginaw Division in the United States in 1989. In 1990, he became Staff Project Engineer at the Delphi Saginaw Steering Systems Division of General Motors. From 1992 until 1997, Botti returned to France as its Director of European Engineering and was then named Director Customer Solution Center, a position he continued to hold with the Delphi Corporation until 2002. From that year on until 2004, he managed the newly created corporate Dynamics, Propulsion and Thermal Innovation Center as the Chief Technologist.
Dr. Botti holds 12 patents and four defensive publications for his work at Delphi and is elected as a Delphi Hall of Fame fellow. He also holds 11 patents outside of Delphi. Dr. Botti graduated from I.N.S.A. Toulouse in 1986 with a master’s degree in mechanical engineering. He also earned an MBA from Central Michigan University in 1991, and went on to earn a Ph.D. in mechanical engineering from the Conservatoire National des Arts et Métiers, Paris in 1995.
Organisation
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Group Innovation Networks and their leaders (“GINs” 1-5) in the CTO’s team are in place and reporting to the Chief Operating Officer Innovation to ensure that the relevant actions are implemented and that synergies are exploited throughout the EADS Divisions and the EADS Innovation Works. The COO Innovation is chairman of the R&T Council (RTC), which is made up of the R&T Directors of the Divisions/Business Units, the GIN's, the Head of CTO R&T Strategy, the Head of CTO Finance and the Head of EADS IP Management. The RTC prepares the work of the ETC and assures the operational implementation of the R&T plan and its deliverables.
The CTO steers the EADS-wide harmonisation of transversal technical processes, methods and tools, and skills development programmes, such as Systems Engineering, common tools for Product Life-Cycle Management (PLM/Phenix) and Systems Engineering Training and Qualification. He also carries out specific technical assessments on behalf of the CEO and the EADS Executive Committee.
The head of the EADS Innovation Works reports to the CTO. EADS Innovation Works are in charge of the corporate R&T production facilities that guarantee the Group’s technical innovation potential with a focus on the long-term horizon. Driven by the EADS R&T strategy, they identify new technologies that will create value and competitive advantages. EADS Innovation Works have two main sites in Paris and Munich and employ approximately 600 people including doctorates and university interns. Proximity centres are maintained in Toulouse, Nantes and Hamburg to support the knowledge transfer to BUs in these locations. A liaison office is operating in Moscow, which facilitates relations with Russian scientific institutes. EADS operates a R&T centre in Singapore and also launched a centre in Spain and, in 2007, in the U.K.
Members in the support and R&T enabler groups of the CTO’s organisation ensure that R&T is an integral part of the business, by maintaining strong links with the business development organisation, human resources, finance, intellectual property, standardisation and communication.
The EADS Executive Technical Council (“ETC”), chaired by the CTO, is made up of the technical directors of the Divisions. The ETC is responsible for ensuring alignment with the Group’s technology strategy and implementation through the Group R&T road map. The ETC ensures that a balance is maintained between the top-down strategic guidance and bottom-up expertise, creativity and responsibility. It meets regularly to discuss and decide forward strategies and it identifies synergies.
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