Mubadala-owned Strata Manufacturing, a composite aerostructures manufacturing facility, is subcontracting its ATR vertical fin and rudder programmes to GSE Industria Aeronautica in Italy.

Stata signed a deal to the effect recently, its first international outsourcing agreement.

Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi company that fully owns Strata, said the deal represented a significant milestone for Strata whereby new capabilities will be developed in placing work packages in various geographic locations and managing a global value chain.

It is also the first step towards expanding Strata’s capabilities beyond aerostructures composite manufacturing by forging new relationships with other aerostructure manufacturers from around the globe, it added.

Deal worth $120m

The eight-year contract, valued at $120 million, will include the delivery of 90 shipments per year to the final assembly line of the ATR aircraft in Toulouse, France.

The first ATR rudder produced by GSE under this agreement is expected to be delivered shortly, it added.

This deal will strengthen Strata’s global competitiveness, as the company provides comprehensive solutions and benefits by using low-cost suppliers able to manufacture less complicated parts or by co-locating manufacturing closer to its customer thereby lowering shipping costs and mitigating against risks associated with the movement of high-value aircraft parts.

Key programme

CEO Badr Al Olama said: “This is an important programme to Strata’s journey in establishing a leading position that reinforces Abu Dhabi as a growing manufacturing base for the global aerospace industry.

“The company will develop its supply chain capabilities, and support the development of UAE nationals in global project management. Furthermore, Strata will have more capacity within its facility to bring in new programmes that require advanced technologies. This paves the way towards becoming one of the top three composite aerostructure manufacturing companies by 2020.

GSE aerospace is a private company, located in Brindisi, Italy, and which specialises in manufacturing structural aeronautic components, fabricating sheet metal and composite parts and assembling structures of aircraft and helicopters, among other things.

Vision

Massimiliano Elisei, CEO of GSE Aerospace, said: “By signing the contract, GSE confirms the international vision of its business and hopes that the new relationship with Strata will turn into stable successful partnership for other programmes.”

Elisei said the importance of the agreement was highlighted by the presence of the senior leadership of the company, led by the owner Francesca Armellini, at the signing ceremony.

Strata team in Italy

An experienced team from Strata will be based in Italy and will include a diverse set of skilled professionals with project management, quality management and manufacturing engineering expertise, he added.