Ricardo Chocarro Melgosa
CEO Aernnova – 7 de marzo de 2022
At the beginning of January, we signed a strategic agreement with Embraer for the acquisition of its centers of excellence in Évora, a first-class facility that combines the most advanced technologies in the manufacture of metal and composite aerostructures. Embraer, with whom we have been working since our inception in 1993, is currently the number one manufacturer for under 150 seats commercial aircrafts.
The agreement with Embraer goes beyond the acquisition of the industrial plants, as it includes a long-term supply agreement for the Evora work packages of aircrafts such as the Praetor 500/600 or the E1/E2 family, which will contribute to increase our portfolio of single-aisle and business jets. While still in the context of a crisis in the aeroespace industry, with this transaction Aernnova shows its firm commitment with the growth and strengthening of our company
As soon as the transaction is finally closed, subject to the fulfillment of certain approvals that we expect to receive shortly, we will be very proud and happy to welcome in Aernnova our new colleagues from Évora.
But our growth is not only focused on large projects. Brek Manufacturing, our aerospace machining company in California, has weathered the effects of the pandemic exceptionally well and is now extending its capabilities to Wichita, one of the most important aerospace clusters in the USA, the “Air Capital of the World”.
There is no point in growing if we are not truly competitive. The future of the production of aerospace structures depends on the automation and digitalization of their production processes. At Aernnova we continue to work on the evolution to a digital company of the future. A good example of this is the new automation project for the manufacturing of the Central Wing Box of the A220 that is being implemented in Berantevilla, which turns a manual assembly process, with the tools fixed to the floor, into a production line where operators and robots coexist and the tools move together with the line.
Our company Serra, whose main activity is to provide automated welding lines to the automotive sector, and that also helps Aernnova’s with automation processes, knows a lot about automating and robotizing processes. After being impacted by the period of doubt of the automotive market, Serra has achieved a great order-in-take in the second half of last year, leveraging on the boost of the introduction of new electric vehicle platforms.
Some of these topics, and more, are expanded in this edition of ANN News, in which we have begun to incorporate your suggestions. As always, we hope it will be of interest to you.
I cannot end these lines without condemning and deeply regretting the dark times that the world, Europe and especially Ukraine are living due to Russia’s decision to invade that country by force, causing thousands of losses of human lives, forcing millions of Ukrainians into exile and putting the world equilibrium at serious risk.
