Eurocopter breaks ground at new development centre

Eurocopter executives broke the ground at the new development centre at Donauwörth in Germany last week. Donauwörth will concentrate all the resources, skills and equipment required to develop, manufacture, certify and maintain helicopters in one location. Development activities that currently are located at Eurocopter’s Ottobrunn site will be integrated into the new building complex, which will have a surface area of 30,000 square meters and is to be situated adjacent to the plant’s existing assembly facilities. Furthermore, it offers the opportunity to concentrate activities that today are divided between different locations both in Donauwörth and in Ottobrunn. Some 900 Eurocopter employees will move into this future-oriented innovative development centre.

“The Systemhaus project is an integral part of Eurocopter’s Vision 2020 strategy and will form the basis for a promising helicopter technology site in Germany – pooling all the necessary key competencies to develop, manufacture and maintain rotary-wing aircraft at one location and securing these capabilities for the future,” said Lutz Bertling, president and chief executive officer of the Eurocopter Group. “This undertaking not only brings together development and production activities, it also will accelerate processes by making it possible to create integrated teams. The new development center will help us to successfully develop and manufacture innovative helicopters more quickly, and it will make a substantial contribution towards maintaining Eurocopter’s lead in the international rotary-wing marketplace.”