Hutchinson joins Space Aero to step up aerospace, defence focus

Paris – Hutchinson has joined the executive committee of Space Aero, a European aerospace and defence industry association that works to improve industrial performance, supplier development and supply chain competitiveness across the sector.

Created in 2007, Space Aero brings together major aerospace and defence manufacturers and suppliers to support the “industrial maturity" of the sector through shared standards, best practices and collaborative projects.

In a 2 June statement, Hutchinson said Space Aero is responding to industry challenges including “accelerating production rates, increasing complexity, and heightened expectations for reliability and resilience.”

Its activities include deploying the ‘Aero Excellence’ standard, supporting suppliers and talent development, improving customer-supplier relationships and promoting the sharing of industrial best practices.

Space Aero, according to Hutchinson, supports more than 200 companies and projects each year across France.

Hutchinson said joining the executive committee reflected its commitment to industrial performance and collaboration across the aerospace and defence supply chain.

Nicolas Orance, SVP aerospace & defence at Hutchinson, described supply chain performance as a "key competitive advantage" for the industry.

"My involvement in the Space association reflects a strong conviction: in a context of tension and transformation, supply chain performance is becoming a key competitive advantage," Orance said.

"We do not want to be simply present, but to actively contribute to structuring a more resilient, innovative, and committed ecosystem."

According to Hutchinson, the ability to deliver consistently increasingly depends on "strong alignment", "shared standards" and "collective progress" across the value chain amid rising demands and operational challenges.