Moscow, Russia, March 25, 2004
EADS has paved the way for increased business activities in Russia by founding OOO EADS, a company according to Russian law, headed by Vadim Vlasov (39). “Vadim Vlasov as President & CEO of OOO EADS will bring a new momentum to our Russian business,” said EADS CEO Rainer Hertrich on Thursday. “His experience and his determination will leverage our cooperation program and marketing activities in Russia.”
The cooperation program between EADS and the Russian aerospace industry is strongly moving ahead. “Airbus has invited Russian aviation companies to bid for subcontract work for the annual amount of $ 10 million,” announced Vadim Vlasov. “Our target is to increase manufacturing progressively to reach a volume of up to $ 40 million annual production work for Airbus in the forthcoming years.”
“The EADS Technology Office, which was opened last year, is currently evaluating more than 40 cooperation projects in research and technology between EADS and various Russian scientific institutions,” said Vlasov.
The Airbus Engineering Center ECAR, the first engineering facility established by Airbus in Europe outside its home countries, currently employs some 50 Russian engineers. The engineering staff will increase to 100 by the end of 2004. ECAR already performs extensive work in disciplines such as fuselage structure, stress testing and systems installation.
The new EADS company in Russia will be the driving force behind all activities of the EADS Group in the country. Such functions as business development, industrial and technology-oriented cooperation, government relations and marketing will be managed by the new entity.
“This new company underlines the strategic relevance of Russia for EADS,” said Hertrich. “It gives us more visibility among the aerospace community. We are now in a better legal position to act as a partner to the Russian aerospace industry and our customers. Furthermore, EADS Russia offers us the possibility of playing a more active role in the restructuring process of the Russian aviation industry.”
Among other activities, EADS is preparing the marketing for the Russian amphibian aircraft Be-200 with the Irkut Corporation and Rolls Royce Deutschland. Airbus has subcontracted the Sokol Aircraft Production Plant in Nizhny Novgorod for the production of aircraft components. These components will be machined at the Irkutsk-based plant of the Irkut Corporation and then assembled at the Sokol plant. In the space sector, EADS and Russia are cooperating in the area of new engine and re-entry technologies. In the framework of the Eurockot and Starsem joint ventures, EADS is marketing in-orbit delivery services with the Russian Soyuz and rocket launchers. EADS has also strongly supported the European decision to open the Kourou launch pad for Soyuz.
Vadim Vlasov reports to EADS International, which is headed by Jean-Paul Gut, Executive Vice President and member of the Executive Committee of EADS. It is the corporate marketing organisation in charge of international development of the whole EADS group. EADS operates more than 30 offices abroad.
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and the related services. In 2003, EADS generated revenues of € 30.1 billion and employed a workforce of more than 109,000. The EADS Group includes the aircraft manufacturer Airbus, the world's largest helicopter supplier Eurocopter and the joint venture MBDA, the second largest missile producer in the global market. EADS is the major partner in the Eurofighter consortium, is the prime contractor for the Ariane launcher, develops the A400M military transport aircraft and is the largest industrial partner for the European satellite navigation system Galileo.
