The Association of Aviation Manufacturers in the Czech Republic, AAM CR, the European Association of Aerospace Industries, AECMA, and the European Commission held a workshop on "Quality in Aerospace" in Prague last week. The workshop focussed strongly on practical examples and issues of quality systems and aimed at supporting further integration of the Czech aerospace industries into the European aerospace industry structure.
More than 40 Directors and Quality Managers from the Czech aerospace industry attended the workshop that was supported by the TAIEX (Technology Assistance Information Exchange Office) of the Enlargement Directorate-General of the European Commission.
Speakers were quality experts from AECMA, Airbus Industrie and the Czech industry as well as a specialist from the European Commission's Enterprise Directorate-General. They addressed a broad range of aspects in quality management, presenting case studies and debating practical issues. Subjects were, amongst others: quality systems and their implementation, the important relationship between customer and supplier, and the challenge to comply with the quality requirements of both the aerospace authorities and the industry. In subsequent discussions speakers and attendees took the opportunity to exchange views and experiences.
This was the second workshop held by AAM CR and AECMA following the first one having taken place in April 1999 on the links between the aerospace industries in the Czech Republic and the European Union. In January 2000 AAM CR became a member of AECMA.
The Czech aerospace industries, which are organised within AAM CR, comprise 35 companies with some 10,000 employees and are taking steps to progressively integrate into the European industry structure. However, further support from the European Union and encouragement from European industry is needed to prepare Czech industries' participation in European regulatory, standardisation and quality-related activities.
The workshop on quality has been a successful step in support of the enlargement process, and a workshop on standardisation is expected to follow.
The Quality Committee and further working bodies of AECMA are actively involved in the process to enhance the quality of aerospace products throughout the whole supply chain in Europe. On global level AECMA participates in IAQG, the International Aerospace Quality Group, which focuses on the development of international quality standards.
AECMA is the European Association of Aerospace Industries. Its members are the national aerospace associations of Austria, Belgium, Czech Republic, Denmark, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Ireland, Italy, Luxembourg, Portugal, Spain, Sweden, The Netherlands and the United Kingdom as well as the largest European aerospace companies.
The European aerospace industry comprises about 700 companies with a further 80,000 suppliers, many of which are SMEs. The sector employs some 420,000 people directly and about 1.2 million (1998) including indirect employees, with an annual turnover of more than Euro62 billion
-ends-
Quality Workshop with the Czech Aerospace Industry
