YMC 2003 Topic
This year's conference topic is
Crisis in Aerospace: Challenges and Opportunities
The turn of the century has witnessed events that have challenged the global economy in ways that could not have previously been foreseen. These have severely affected the aerospace industry.
Since 2001, the civil aviation market has suffered from a progressive downturn in customer demand. This has resulted in companies having to adopt drastic measures and devise new strategies to ensure their commercial success.
At the same time, the satellite market is going through a serious slump as a result of the problems affecting the telecommunications sector. The drop in the number of orders in recent years has opened the debate for the need of industry consolidation.
On the other hand, the defence sector is also in need of profound changes. The admission of new members to NATO and the increasing determination by Europeans to create the so-called Rapid Reaction Force has evidenced the need to redefine the role of the Alliance in Europe.
In recent years, a new concept of Homeland Security has emerged, the purpose of which being to guarantee the safety of citizens in contemporary society. From the border surveillance to the sanctuary cockpit, from tracking commercial flights to missile defence systems, securing citizens against terrorist attacks has become a major policy of governments. If the ultimate objective of this strategy is to be fulfilled, governments and industry must establish a closer cooperation.
The purpose of the conference is to address all these challenges from various perspectives. Speakers from the whole aerospace community will bring insight into these subjects and discuss their implications on the industry.
During the two days of the conference, participants will have the chance to share their views and formulate new ideas to rise to the commercial and strategic challenges that lie ahead.
