Polish aerospace delegation lands in Australia

REPRESENTATIVES from one of Europe’s leading aerospace regions are touring Australia this week to build links with Australian industry.

The delegation from Poland will meet business leaders from the local aerospace sector and conduct site visits to manufacturers and suppliers in both Sydney and Melbourne.

Austrade Senior Trade Commissioner in Warsaw Steve Rank said Poland was a significant player in global aerospace supply chains.

“There are opportunities for Australian companies to form partnerships with Polish firms, accessing wider networks in Europe and the United States,” Mr Rank said.

“There are also opportunities for Australian firms and research institutions to join cooperative R&D efforts to develop new technologies.”

Poland has a long tradition of aerospace manufacturing dating back to the early 20th Century and was a leading force in the development of helicopters.

Today PwC ranks Poland’s aerospace industry among the world’s top-ten. It includes significant manufacturing and assembly operations, including the Sikorsky Black Hawk S-70i helicopters and Pratt & Whitney aircraft engines.

The delegation includes representatives from Poland’s Aviation Valley, an industry cluster created in 2003 that now employs 20,000 workers and generates sales of A$1.5 billion, 80 per cent of which are exports.

This week’s visit follows a joint business event promoting Australian and Polish capability and collaboration at the last Paris Air Show held in 2013.

“Poland may seem like a distant market to many Australians but the growing importance of global supply chains, particularly in the aerospace sector, makes it impossible to ignore,” Mr Rank said.

"Australia’s manufacturing and technologies are world class but need to be integrated with global networks to reach their full potential.”

http://www.austrade.gov.au/

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