Innovation - At the beginning of the year, the Eurocopter Group Technical Directorate launched I3, a project designed to energize innovation in support of research. This ideas-incubating system will improve customer satisfaction, technological advances, and company performances

During the years 1985-2000, major research investment was poured into the demonstrator programs (exploratory development and probatory technical development) culminating in such major technological advances as the Tiger and NH90 (fly-by-wire controls, composite fuselage, etc.), and the new commercial range of aircraft. The Tiger and the NH90 are currently half a generation ahead of their American and European rivals. However, American manufacturers are now incorporating the positive results from the Comanche program on the Apache and Black Hawk and, to maintain its lead, Eurocopter must double its research and innovation efforts.

Furthermore, Eurocopter is obliged to cooperate more and more with countries wishing to acquire self-sufficiency and design knowhow. The EC175 program with China is a good example of this. More than ever, to ensure its future, the group is obliged to maintain its technological leadership. The Technical Directorate has therefore decided to revitalize innovation in support of research projects, since there is a rich seam of ideas to be mined in all the sectors of the company.

In January 2006, the I3 or “I cube” (Innovation/Idea/ Incubation) project was launched to develop innovation, by encouraging the spread of ideas, organizing their harvest, and setting up a structure where they can grow (incubation). This project takes a leaf out of the EADS R&T Vision approach, which was introduced to guarantee the future of the EADS group in terms of research and technology.

A Very Simple Idea
I3 focuses on the source of the innovation process: from the generation of ideas to their transformation into an innovation project, which should in turn lead to an application for products, services or processes. This phase must be flexible and responsive, light on resources, and not afraid of taking high risks. “We’ve put our finger on the paradox of innovation,” explains Philippe Roesch, the Deputy Director of Development, and Project Manager. “A successful innovation process must have a high rate of rejected ideas, concentrated in the early phases.”

A low overall level of rejected ideas means that we are only picking up on the very conservative ideas, which are often successful. But, innovation is most often exclusively incremental and generally concerns processes rather than products and services. Ideas are gathered simply and flexibly on a Fact Sheet, which is used to record and organize the assessment and follow-up process. An Innovation Commission has been created to evaluate and sort out the ideas. The person with the idea appears before this commission, which chooses among three options: ‘not straight away’ (an unfeasible idea may become feasible at a later date); the allocation of resources for its incubation; or direct integration in a development project.

The ideas are selected according to criteria such as consistency with the strategy, the nature of the innovation, the maximum potential, its feasibility, the likelihood of technical and commercial success, and the amount of effort needed to clarify the idea and validate its potential. Ideas that do not comply with these criteria are stored away for later re-appraisal. Most ideas require an incubation phase to specify their limits and outlines, and to assess the possible next steps that need to be taken (launching of preliminary studies, exploratory development or an innovation development project).

In fact, the most revolutionary innovations often stem from ideas that seemed fuzzy, flawed, or even farcical. Only a few innovations are lucky enough to spring directly from ideas that receive the “green light for development” almost from the word go. But, such innovations are few and far between and, in this case, they are principally incremental. Successful revolutionary innovations often have a difficult incubation period, a relatively unorthodox technical development, and even an unrewarding commercial start in life.

Business-Centric Innovation Whenever possible, the accent is placed on economic assessment. The added value created by the innovation is a vital criterion for selecting innovation projects. To date, more than 100 ideas from the Design Office, Support, and the Materials & Processes Laboratory have already been formulated. On 7 February 2006, the first commission meeting was held in Marignane. The commission’s brief is to focus on the internal development of strategic components performing critical functions (power shafts and hydraulic servo-controls) in order to reduce their purchasing costs, on internal noise, and on health diagnosis and monitoring systems.

The message is loud and clear: more than ever, Eurocopter is developing business-centric innovation, focusing ever more sharply on customer satisfaction and cost reduction. “Top-level innovation creates added value for the customer and the company,” concludes Mr. Roesch.