K-aviation materials prove global edge with W40b in export contracts at Farnborough

Korea AeroSpace Administration chief Oh Tae-seok (right) visits booths of Korean companies at the Korea Pavilion at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom on Wednesday, listening to their concerns. [KASA]

South Korea's domestically developed lightweight aviation materials have demonstrated strong global competitiveness, with cumulative export contracts reaching 40 billion won ($27 million).

The Korea AeroSpace Administration said Wednesday (local time) that it showcased results of its "materials data testing and development for aviation lightweight materials localization" project to the global aviation industry at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom, and reviewed the progress of domestic companies entering international supply chains.

The Farnborough International Airshow, first held in Farnborough, England, in 1948 and staged biennially since, is one of the world's three major airshows and a key business venue where global aerospace and defense companies forge supply contracts and partnerships.

At this year's show, KASA exhibited nine types of domestically developed aviation materials — including aluminum and nickel alloys — produced through the materials data testing and development project. The Korea Institute of Materials Science and Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) served as the project's lead institutions, completing development of 17 material types after extensive physical property testing and component verification, nine of which were displayed at Farnborough.

Taesang and Korea Aerospace Industries officials pose for a photo after signing a memorandum of understanding on expanding cooperation in the commercial aircraft forging materials market at the Farnborough International Airshow in the United Kingdom. From left: Kim Gwang-pyo, CEO of Taesang; Oh Tae-seok, KASA administrator; and Kim Jin-hyeok, head of KAI's commercial aviation division. [KASA]

Building on the project's results, South Korean aviation materials companies have supplied components to Brazil's commercial aircraft manufacturer Embraer, Israel's aerospace and defense conglomerate Israel Aerospace Industries and KAI, accumulating 40 billion won in export contracts.

Companies at the airshow displayed nine product types at the Korea Pavilion — including aluminum extrusions, aluminum forgings and nickel superalloy hardware — to highlight the technological competitiveness of domestically made aviation materials. The aluminum materials on display are already used in the wing structures of the IAI Gulfstream G280 business jet and are set to be applied to the wing structures of Embraer's E-Jets.

The airshow also confirmed that government research and development outcomes are translating into private investment and exports. Taesang, which participated in the project as an R&D institution, used technology built up with KASA support to formally announce at the show a project to construct large-scale forging facilities through major self-funded investment. Tesco, another company supported under the same project, signed an MOU with global aerospace parts distributor FDH Aero for hardware component supply, marking its full-scale entry into the global market on the strength of its track record supplying KAI and its quality credentials.

"Materials and components are the roots of the aviation industry, and Farnborough confirmed that domestically made materials can compete in the global market," KASA Administrator Oh Tae-seok said. "We will build an integrated support framework covering materials and component development, aviation system application and commercialization — linked to the international co-development of next-generation commercial aircraft — so that more of our companies can stand as confident suppliers in the global supply chain."

nbgkoo@heraldcorp.com