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More specifically, the Innovation Cluster aims to nurture disruptive concepts within Thales Alenia Space, whether for design, production, engineering, sales or support, and to encourage all employees to unleash their creativity and initiate actions.

“This project is an integral part of Thales Alenia Space’s transformation drive towards a more innovation-centric culture,” said Cedric Balty, innovation chief at Thales Alenia Space. “The Innovation Cluster stimulates intrapreneurship and creativity. It’s open to all employees, and supports and funds innovative, value-generating projects submitted by our employees in all fields. It offers highly fertile ground to make our disruptive projects bloom!”

The Innovation Cluster is a good fit with the company’s R&D, which has seen its budget jump 15% in just a year. It encompasses all Thales Alenia Space units, in France, Italy, Spain, Belgium, the United Kingdom, Germany and Poland. The Cluster can instantly provide funding and other resources, and is based on an agile structure to enable the fast validation of solutions that may well meet emerging market trends, offering disruptive technologies and innovative development paths to the company’s customers.

“We are heavily involved in the dynamic stimulated by the Innovation Cluster, which will enable us to stimulate concrete new ideas and concepts, such as Stratobus, our standalone stratospheric airship,” said Christophe Wilhelm, Vice President for Strategy and Innovation. “Innovation is an integral part of our strategy, a real differentiating criterion and a major asset in today’s fiercely competitive market. The aim of our Cluster is to keep pace with trends in our customers’ markets and anticipate emerging needs.”

Jean-Loïc Galle, President and Chief Executive Officer of Thales Alenia Space, added: “By deploying significant resources, the Innovation Cluster can speed up time to market for our solutions, and add real value for our customers. Innovation is a state of mind, one that should catalyze all of our businesses.”

About Thales Alenia Space

Thales Alenia Space, a joint venture between Thales (67%) and Leonardo-Finmeccanica (33%), is a key European player in space telecommunications, navigation, Earth observation, exploration and orbital infrastructures. Thales Alenia Space and Telespazio form the two parent companies' “Space Alliance”, which offers a complete range of services and solutions. Because of its unrivaled expertise in dual (civil/military) missions, constellations, flexible payloads, altimetry, meteorology and high-resolution optical and radar instruments, Thales Alenia Space is the natural partner to countries that want to expand their space program. The company posted consolidated revenues in excess of 2.1 billion euros in 2015, and has 7,500 employees in 8 countries. www.thalesaleniaspace.com

Thales Alenia Space Press Contacts

Sandrine Bielecki    
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 70 94    
sandrine.bielecki@thalesaleniaspace.com

Chrystelle Dugimont
Tel: +33 (0)4 92 92 74 06    
chrystelle.dugimont@thalesaleniaspace.com