On March 25, 2011, EADS and its subsidiary Eurocopter Group officially received the backing of the French authorities for their joint project to transfer some activities from Eurocopter’s La Courneuve plant, together with a part of EADS’ Suresnes-based research and development activities, to the city of Dugny. The two groups will lead the way for the future Greater Paris Aeronautics Center of Excellence.

Following lengthy discussions between local officials and state authorities, the decision-makers in the region have stood firmly behind the project to bring together the major players in the aeronautics industry just north of Paris. Even if detailed agreements with the French authorities still need to be signed, Eurocopter has given the green light to transfer its activities from the current La Courneuve site to the former navy airbase in Dugny, near the flight lines of the Le Bourget Airport. EADS has also confirmed its intention to install a portion of its Innovation Works department at the site within the next three years.

Scheduled for completion by 2014, the new Eurocopter plant in Dugny will enable the world’s leading helicopter manufacturer to modernize its blade production tool and to work closer with the blade balancing activities already located in Le Bourget. The move will help Eurocopter remain the leader in innovation in France in the face of increasingly fierce competition.

Eurocopter plans to make major investments as part of the transfer in order to increase its competitiveness and to further develop its objective to expand its activities in areas such as support and maintenance services. With innovative technologies and new, multifunctional, high-performance facilities, the future plant in Dugny is destined to become a technological showcase for the region, and the benchmark for environmental policies.

In addition to the industrial and commercial benefits of this project, EADS and Eurocopter plan on going a step further by developing their activities in the Greater Paris Region. They will generate even greater synergies by creating a technopole through a partnership with the AsTech Business Cluster, resulting in closer ties being forged between research institutions, innovative companies and training centers.

About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2010, the Group – comprising Airbus, Astrium, Cassidian and Eurocopter – generated revenues of € 45.8 billion and employed a workforce of nearly 122,000.

About Eurocopter
Established in 1992, the Franco-German-Spanish Eurocopter group is a division of EADS, a world leader in aerospace, defense and related services. The Eurocopter group employs approximately 17,500 people. In 2010, Eurocopter confirmed its position as the world’s No. 1 helicopter manufacturer in the civil and parapublic market, with a turnover of 4.8 billion euros; orders for 346 new helicopters; and a 49 percent market share in the civil and parapublic sectors. Overall, the group’s products account for 33 percent of the total world civil and parapublic helicopter fleet. Its strong worldwide presence is ensured by its 27 subsidiaries and participations on five continents, along with a dense network of distributors, certified agents and maintenance centers. There are 11,200 Eurocopter helicopters currently in service with nearly 2,900 customers in 147 countries. Eurocopter offers the largest civil and military helicopter range in the world.