• Home
• /
• Business
• /
• Aviation

Boeing Defense, Space and Security hopes to expand EDIC partnership

Dubai - Speaking to a media delegation visiting from the Middle East, Chadwick said that Boeing is currently in discussions with EDIC to explore how to further develop the relationship between the two companies.

Boeing Defense, Space and Security, or BDS, hopes to expand its partnerships with Emirates Defence Industries Company, or EDIC, in the future, BDS President and chief execuive offiver Christopher M. Chadwick said on Wednesday. 
EDIC - jointly controlled by Tawazun and Mubadala - is a merger of the military organisations of Mubadala, Tawazun and the Emirates Advanced Investment Group, which was launched in December 2014 with 11 acquisitions from the three firms, to which it has since added five companies. 
Speaking to a media delegation visiting from the Middle East, Chadwick said that Boeing is currently in discussions with EDIC to explore how to further develop the relationship between the two companies. 
"We're just starting that dialogue and relationship. We think that will be very strong," he said. "The key there is to find where we can leverage their strengths and our strengths and their customer's needs, the country's needs. Those are some of the folks that we will be talking to when we're at Dubai (at the airshow)." 
"We have regular conversations, and we'll have to see how that plays out," he added. "But definitely there will be huge opportunities. Very smart move by UAE (to establish EDIC) and we look forward to growing that relationship as we go forward." 
In June, one of EDIC's subsidiaries, Tawazun Precision Industries, or TPI, and Boeing broke ground on a new aerospace surface treatment facility for metallic parts in Abu Dhabi, which is expected to become operational in 2016. 
"That's one example of where we have found partnerships in UAE that can strengthen us and our industry partners in the aerospace arena," Chadwick said. "We continue to have discussions with them and with Mubadala looking for new opportunities where we can move forward together. As we do that, there will be additional opportunities we can talk about at some point in the future." Chadwick added that Boeing is keen to explore ways in which Boeing might take part in the UAE's space programme.
"We do have ongoing discussions to see where there might be opportunity for Boeing to participate," he said, noting that Boeing's Space Launch System can provide heavy-lift capability to transport cargo and manned missions to Mars.
- Bernd@khaleejtimes.com