Airbus has set up a series of Centres of Excellence to simplify and unify the design and production management processes.
Airbus uses a series of Centres of Excellence to simplify and unify the design and production management processes.
In 2007, Airbus underwent a major reorganisation and revised its Centres of Excellence (CoEs) to ensure that they were fully transnational – organised around complete aircraft elements, each with their own responsibilities and chain of decision-making.
Airbus is made up of three parts: operations, programmes and core functions. Within operations there are now four CoEs based around expertise in key production areas: fuselage and cabin; wing and pylon; aft fuselage and empennage; and aerostructures.
The fuselage and cabin CoE is responsible for work in parts of Hamburg, Toulouse and Bremen, as well as St Nazaire (Gron) and Buxtehude, while the wing and pylon CoE has responsibility for Filton, Broughton, St Eloi and part of Bremen. The aft fuselage and empennage CoE works with Hamburg, Stade, Getafe, Puerto Real and Illescas, and the aerostructures CoE oversees the Nordenham, Varel, Laupheim, Nantes, Meaulte and St Nazaire (Ville) sites.
The CoEs are overseen by Airbus’ head of operations and his team, who are in charge of all industrial processes. This includes ensuring that the best tools, methods and processes are selected and implemented across the CoEs in order to increase efficiency and control costs.
Programmes, which is responsible for the work of the final assembly lines (FALs) including cabin definition and installation as well as overall management processes, works closely with the CoEs, to secure firm commitments from them on what is delivered to the FALs.
The CoEs also maintain close links with core functions such as procurement, human resources, engineering, quality and customer services to develop and manage skills, manage policies and ensure that Airbus employees share knowledge and ideas with colleagues in other CoEs.
Discover more about Airbus' centres of excellence by clicking on the locations displayed on the interactive map below.
Browse through the right drop down menu to find out more about one specific centre of excellence and its associated locations.
;){kind=small}
;){kind=small}
;){kind=small}
Airbus uses a series of Centres of Excellence to simplify and unify the design and production management processes.
