Digitisation guru inspires plane people with winged ideas

Bengaluru, Dec 03: Plane pundits of Aviation Capital were treated to an inspiring talk by aerospace digitisation expert Dr Pablo Bermell-Gracia on Thursday night.

Dr Bermell, the Research Team Leader from Airbus Group Innovations, also sprang a surprise by making a power-point presentation with hand-drawings and colour pencil sketches.

Dr Bermell, the 43-year-old aerospace engineer, was delivering the Lord Austin Lecture on ‘Building a civilian plane; trends, challenges and lessons for India.'

The talk was organised by the Institution of Engineering and Technology (IET), one of the world's largest multi-discipline, professional societies for engineers.

The lecture focused on the growth of civil aviation in India that according to latest reports is set to be the third largest aviation market by 2026.

Given the strategic nature of the aerospace industry and the high skill level of jobs that it can deliver, Dr Bermell stressed on the need for a proposal not only for building a plane, but also for building capacity in aerospace related manufacturing infrastructure and design skills.

He highlighted the trends and challenges in building a civilian plane through case studies on similar projects worldwide.

Impressed with India's rising engineering talent

The lecture carried insights on the global industry trends, innovation and suggestions in the aerospace sector for India to consider.

"This trip has helped me gain an India perspective and put forward the trends and innovations taking place in the industry across the globe. India is one of the rising economies with abundance of young engineers. The need of the hour is a constructive engagement between government and industry that will help establish policies focusing on making a vibrant aerospace echo system. This in turn will help meet both the local and global demand for new technologies in both research and manufacturing," Dr Bermell said.

He also used the opportunity to give a glimpse of some futuristic ideas from Airbus, including automated plane manufacturing units.

David M Lindley, Chairman of the Institution of Engineering and Technology - Aerospace Technical Professional Network, said aerospace engineering is a critical aspect of the Make In India initiatives which has opened a plethora of opportunities for engineers in India.

"The IET Lord Austin Lecture and supporting conference provided an excellent opportunity for the IET in India and the IET Aerospace Technical Professional Network to engage with aerospace SMEs and sectors focused on developing an indigenous aerospace capability within India. The lecture provided a unique insight in to the need, demands and challenges facing both the local and global aerospace industries," David, a military safety expert said.

OneIndia News