Vestas and Boeing to collaborate on technology research projects
Vestas and Boeing today announced their intent to seek opportunities to work
together on joint research projects that further the development of
environmentally progressive technologies.
Representatives of the companies, who are attending the International Scientific
Congress on Climate Change at the University of Copenhagen, Denmark, this week,
said they are exploring possible civilian collaborative technology research
projects in areas such as aerodynamics, structural health monitoring, and
composite materials fabrication processes, design and analysis.
Boeing and Vestas have high levels of expertise in many of the same technology
fields, such as aerodynamics and materials science, and are committed to
developing solutions to help their respective customers reduce energy use,
greenhouse gas emissions, pollution and waste. During 2009, researchers from
both companies will work to identify joint projects, with the intent to rapidly
incorporate improvements into the respective companies' future products and
services, thereby contributing to efforts to address global climate change
concerns.
“One of our major objectives at Boeing is to continue producing commercial
airplanes that are much more efficient and environmentally progressive,” said
Jan Närlinge, President of Boeing Northern Europe. “We are always looking for
aerodynamic advancements to increase fuel efficiency, as well as ways to improve
the overall performance of the in-service fleet.”
“There is a strong correlation between new technologies needed in the aerospace
industry and new technologies needed in the wind energy business, and by pooling
our research and development efforts on specific projects both Boeing and Vestas
will benefit, as well as the environment that we live in,” Närlinge added.
Finn Strøm Madsen, President of Vestas Technology R&D, continues: “We are highly
interested in working closely with leading researchers worldwide in order to
ensure that we maintain our position as the leading supplier of wind energy
solutions. The Vestas and Boeing research and development collaboration will be
an important milestone in the expansion of Vestas' collaboration with major
mature adjacent industries.”
The collaboration between Vestas Technology R&D and Boeing Research & Technology
will take place both in Europe and the USA.
Vestas is the world's largest manufacturer of wind turbines and has the wind
industry's largest research and development unit. Vestas has research centers in
Denmark, Singapore, India and the United Kingdom, and new R&D units are being
established in the United States in Houston and Boston. Vestas develops its wind
turbines in-house, but also collaborates worldwide with leading universities and
adjacent industries in the traditional energy and transport industry. For more
information, please visit www.vestas.com.
Boeing is the world's leading aerospace company and the largest manufacturer of
commercial jetliners and military aircraft combined. Through its Boeing Research
& Technology organization, including the Boeing Research & Technology-Europe
center in Madrid, Spain, the company conducts its own research and development
and also works with top government, private and university research centers, and
companies throughout the world to find the most innovative and affordable
technology solutions for aerospace applications. For more information, please
visit www.boeing.com.
Contact details:
Finn Strøm Madsen, President of Vestas Technology R&D; telephone +45 9730 0000,
Jan Kristiansen, Senior Vice President of Vestas Technology R&D;
telephone +45 9730 0000 and
Michael Holm, Manager, Group Communications; telephone +45 9730 3236,
micho@vestas.com
Nicette Makkinga, Boeing International Communications (London);
telephone +44(0) 0207 340 1939, nicette.makkinga@boeing.com and
Tom Koehler, Boeing Research & Technology Communications; telephone +1 (425) 373
2921, thomas.j.koehler@boeing.com
