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 VIP Interview
Dietmar Schrick
Dietmar Schrick is the new executive president of the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI).
FLUG REVUE: What are the main tasks of the BDLI?
Dietmar Schrick: The most important issue, of course, is the plight of the aircraft equipment industry given the Airbus A380 crisis. Preparations for the next ILA are also important. The board and advisory council of the BDLI have recommended getting India as a partner country for ILA 2008. For me, as the association's new chief executive, it is also important to talk to our member companies in order to find out their requirements of the BDLI and what the consequences of these are.
FR: Last year the BDLI issued a very positive view of the future: the industry was said to be growing, and growth was also forecast in terms of revenue and jobs. Is this trend continuing?
Schrick: Yes, when you look at developments in civil aviation, we can continue to expect annual growth of around five percent. We mustn't let the Airbus crisis and the ongoing discussions about job cuts rob us of our perspective. The market will continue to grow. So the prospects in civil aviation are very good. And the government again wants to invest considerably more in aerospace – so here too the prospects are very good. As far as defence is concerned, the situation varies from company to company. Those involved in major programmes that are currently in serial production will also be experiencing moderate growth. But overall you have to say that the defence budget is more or less stagnating.
FR: How can the BDLI help its members – and small and medium-sized enterprises, in particular – to get through the Airbus crisis?
Schrick: Last year, when the crisis began to emerge, we carried out a survey. This showed that smaller companies, which are not necessarily BDLI member companies but are part of the A380 supply chain, may very well get into serious financial difficulties. We began talks with the German federal ministry for economic affairs to establish the extent to which assistance can be given here. For the smaller companies, guarantees and loans have been offered at state level. We relayed this information to our member companies and then to suppliers further down the chain, so that now any company that has financial problems has contact partners to whom they can turn to solve the problem.
FR: Civil aviation is currently growing. Could a shortage of skilled staff turn out to be a limiting factor in this growth in your view?
Schrick: Yes, that could certainly happen. At the level of skilled workers and engineers, in particular, we have established that when there is a sudden increase in demand – and that has happened with a number of programmes – it is difficult to find people with the right skills in the marketplace. I would like to stress that this is a question of finding skilled, qualified staff.
FR: Overall, is there sufficient funding for aeronautic and aerospace research in Germany?
Schrick: You always wish for more. If you carry out a survey, you always find that demand is considerably higher than supply. So you have to set priorities. We have made very good progress in aerospace over the last year, as far as the budget is concerned. In aeronautics research – particularly on an international comparison – small and medium-sized companies need support, above all, in order to be able to withstand the pressure from the international competition. Not enough assistance is provided here. And in the future there will be a number of specialist fields – unmanned aircraft, for example – where the demand for assistance will be high.
FR: How important is European cooperation for an association like the BDLI?
Schrick: It's becoming increasingly important, particularly when it comes to European legislation. Brussels prepares legislation and regulations that apply across the industry. That's why you can't take a purely domestic view. Close cooperation with the ASD, the European umbrella association, is fundamental to us so that we can find out about legislative developments. We can then get together with the other associations and issue a statement in order to bring up any issues of concern in advance of a legislative initiative.
FR: How are preparations going for ILA 2008?
Schrick: Some key decisions were taken last year regarding the long-term orientation of the ILA and plans for it to remain in Berlin. As a result of the agreements reached with Brandenburg, Berlin, Messe Berlin and the airport, we now have a strategy in place to establish the ILA firmly in Berlin at the new airport (BBI). There will be construction work going on for the next two years in Schönefeld, but the current indications are that this will hardly affect the ILA. Infrastructure is being put in place at the new airport that will allow both the trade fair and flying operations to be staged in parallel with normal airport operations.
Volker K. Thomalla was asking the questions.
From page 21 of FLUG REVUE 4/2007
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