On May 23, 2024, Airbus announced it will establish a Tech Hub, an initiative for developing partnerships to advance the R&D of next-generation aircraft, in Japan. The initiative will focus on new materials, decarbonization technologies, and robotics and automation.
Airbus announced the Tech Hub’s establishment at this year’s Viva Technology, a technology conference held annually in Paris. The initiative is supported by Japan’s Ministry of Economy, Trade and Industry, and France’s Directorate General for Civil Aviation. Announcing the Tech Hub, Airbus’s Chief Technology Officer Airbus Sabine Klauke, said “Airbus sees Japan as a key country for future partnerships.”
Airbus Tech Hub Japan follows similar initiatives in Singapore and the Netherlands. The former was announced in February 2024 and will focus on three areas: decarbonization; maintenance, services, and operations; and manned and unmanned air traffic management. The latter was launched in April 2024 and focuses on “accelerating the transition to sustainable aviation.”
According to Airbus, “the Tech Hubs aim to foster collaboration among Airbus global R&T teams, industry leaders, local research communities, industry, and academic institutions.”
Airbus’s announcement follows Boeing’s establishment of a research center focused on sustainable aviation fuels, hydrogen propulsion, robotics, digitization, and composites in Nagoya earlier this year.
