CEO Says Procurement from Korean Companies Will Increase
Trade, Industry and Energy Minister Lee Chang-yang had a meeting with Airbus Defence and Space CEO Michael Schoellhorn in Seoul on Nov. 16.
At the meeting, the CEO said that the company is considering building its fifth Asian R&D center in South Korea. Its R&D centers in Asia are currently located in China, India, Malaysia and Singapore. The CEO also said that the company’s annual procurement from South Korean companies would be increased to at least one trillion won from the current level of 700 billion won or so.
The CEO proposed a joint project to bring Korea Aerospace Industries’ FA-50 into the Western European market. He also mentioned that Airbus is willing to cooperate with South Korea in the space industry.
The minister promised to provide extensive support once Airbus decides to build an R&D center in South Korea. “The R&D center will even further accelerate bilateral cooperation, and the close partnership between Airbus and the European Space Agency will be a valuable tip for South Korea’s space agency establishment plan,” he said.