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Aerospace: a strategic sector for the local economic development.   

 

The Regione Campania, along with Piemonte, Lombardia, Lazio, Puglia, is one of the most important national aerospace poles, not only in terms of the number of businesses, turnover and number of employees, but also because it boasts an excellent scientific research and high-level training network. The origins of the aerospace industry in Campania go back some way: its traditions of excellence can be traced to the beginning of the twentieth century, when the sector started to develop, thanks to a mild climate, which meant that large wood and canvas aircraft parts could be worked on out in the open, and which was ideal for flying; the sector then expanded significantly during the first world war, and embarked upon a period of evolution and growth that has lasted right up to the present day. 

Over the past few years, the aeronautical sector in Campania has been growing at quite a pace, thanks in part to the success achieved on an international level by Finmeccanica, including collaborations with global giants Boeing and Airbus on the building of new civil aircraft. This has led to the creation of a vast network of top quality small and medium enterprises in the sub-supply system.

 

 

The manufacturing division of the aerospace industry plays a center-stage role in Campania’s economic system and represents one of the elements of the territory’s development, both as regards number of industrial installations, as well as level of innovative technology content required in the manufacturing processes. 

 

Campania is one of the few high-tech clusters among the European Union’s Objective 1 Regions, characterized by the presence of large-scale market leaders on a national level, which also have a significant share of the international market as well. These are companies such as Alenia Aeronautica, Avio, Dema, Magnaghi Aeronautica, Selex Sistemi Integrati and Piaggio Aero Industries, alongside which we also find others like Tecnam  (P2008, P2006T, etc.), Vulcanair (P68, A-Viator) and Oma Sud (Skycar), who can create finished products of great prestige and quality, for which they are highly valued all over the world.   

 

With a turnover of almost 2000 million Euros, Campania alone represents a quarter of the national aerospace industry. 

Compared to the national average, industry in Campania has also reached significant levels in terms of number of businesses and number of employees. Recent data speak of 10 000 workers and 29 companies with their core-business in aerospace, as well as more than a hundred companies involved in the industry. Alongside the leading players, there is, then, a fabric of small and medium enterprises involved in sub-supply, all of which are able to operate using the technologies, manufacturing processes, technical quality standards and precision which is typical of the aerospace industry. These are industries which are, essentially, specialized in manufacturing pieces to order, or in carrying out specific processes.   

 

Construction of complex aircraft parts, maintenance and specialized sub-supply of parts, processes and equipment are the three areas in which the companies mainly operate in Campania.  Their vocation is, especially, in manufacturing  (65%), though there is a lesser, but still significant, presence in the technical services sector (22.6%). 

Technological competences and excellent manufacturing skills are to be found in the field of mechanical process, which are carried out using traditional or numeric control technology, as well as in the manufacturing of tools, including complex ones, for assembling or building components, in making special equipment to create, assemble and maintain panels and entire aircraft sections, sheet metal processing, chemical covering of panels, heat treatment for structural purposes, and the construction of non-structural items in composite material. 

There are also support activities in the fields of control, maintenance and repair, while in the field of engineering, we can draw attention to planning skills, strength calculation competences, prototyping, logistics consultation and the development of technologies in both aeronautics and space.   

This considerable variety and quality of competences is, without doubt, the primary strength of the whole regional sector, and is essentially the result of the close relationship between the SMEs and the large-scale industries, which have allowed know-how to be built up over time.   

The aerospace sector in Campania enjoys high-level commitment on the part of the regional government, which is focusing on various initiatives to encourage growth in the sector:  

 

• transformation of research projects into successful entrepreneurial initiatives through the setting up of closer collaboration between the world of industry and the world of research and innovation; 
• encouragement of aggregation and networking skills in order to increase economies of scale and scope; 
• encouragement of research activities based on industrial interests with a view to the technological transfer; 
• facilitation for companies to invest in emerging high-tech sectors; 
• greater support for SMEs in promoting their products/services abroad and in seeking new partners and customers; 
• promotion for participation in more important and strategic European projects. 

 

 

Since competitive advantages are acquired through the continual technological innovation of products, the Regional Government has increased its share of investment in research and development and in the high-level training of human capital, focusing on managerial competences as well. Operations regarding infrastructure to be built in the short and medium terms also fall within the framework of actions that have been planned in support of the sector. 

 

The training of human resources is of fundamental importance in a high-tech sector such as aerospace, and enterprises in Campania  can rely on a number of public and private bodies, research centers and universities, well known all around the world and highly qualified in the field of aerospace. 

Regional training possibilities in aerospace are centered on 23 degree courses available at 5 universities (Federico II University of Naples, Second University of Naples (SUN), Parthenope University, Sannio University and the University of Salerno) throughout the territory, as well as on numerous courses and specialized masters courses in the sector.  

Research, which has the task of making the enterprises system in Campania  more competitive on a global level, is the responsibility of centers of excellence such as the Italian Aerospace Research Center (CIRA), the Technological District on Polymeric and Composite Materials Engineering and Structures (IMAST), the Microgravity Advanced Research & Support Center (Mars), the Institute for Microelectronics and Microsystems (IMM) of the National Research Council, and  Technology Environment Safety Transport  (TEST).

 

So many companies, universities and research centers, which you can hardly find in any other geographic area, is a significant strength for the growth of the regional and national aerospace system. 

 

The policy of Regione Campania, in order to promote and support the aerospace sector, continues with our joining, as a founding member, of the European Aerospace Cluster Partnership -EACP- set up in May 2009, following the proposal of the Lander of Hamburg. This brings together 33 important European clusters. 

EACP will bring the various national clusters together around a table to discuss opportunities for industrial collaboration among the SMEs, to provide greater visibility for European stakeholders on the international markets, to acquire EU funds for research and development activities, and to support programs of co-operation between research institutes, training and professional projects.

 

The Campania aeronautics strengths: 

•   Establishment of leader companies;

•   Basic and applied research skills;

•   Suppliers and subcontractors excellent networking;

•   Specialized training and high number of engineering graduates;

•   Promotion of new technologies; 

•   Governmental program to promote the growth of the aeronautical field;

•   Closeness to service standards as the main developed industrial areas;

•   Presence of a scientific tertiary organic system in continuous development; 

•   Appropriate water and energy resources availability; 

•   Access to the national and international markets, with a whole viability network and transportation of highways, railways, port and airport; 

• - Proximity of a huge market along the coast; 

•   Manufacturing sector with an increasing integration grade between the various fields: agriculture, industry and service;