Strategic Connections and Opportunities Take Centrestage at Singapore Airshow 2018

SINGAPORE, 9 FEBRUARY 2018 – The Singapore Airshow 2018 concluded its trade segment on an optimistic note with strong commendations of the wide range of extensive opportunities to connect stakeholders, disruptive technologies to drive change and unique interaction platforms to shape the future.

Singapore Airshow 2018 saw over 10 percent increase in trade visitors, as well as 287 VIP delegations. Over 70 percent of exhibitors have committed to returning to the Singapore Airshow 2020.

“The biennial Singapore Airshow plays a vital role in supporting the aviation ecosystem in Singapore and Asia Pacific upon which so many skilled jobs depend on. It’s the place for current and potential customers and suppliers to meet, network, do business and evaluate new opportunities together. It’s also a great showcase for new technologies and important to encourage the next generation of aviation talent to seek employment in aviation. By focusing on next generation technologies, encouraging start-ups to exhibit for the first time and promoting the capabilities and offerings around Southeast Asia and beyond, the show provides a time-efficient way to develop new business,” said Richard Brown, Principal, ICF International.

Connecting the Industry to Deeper Technologies and Innovations

Strategic partnerships established at the Airshow have seen strategic discussions and showcases around digital data revolution to drive intelligence across the entire value-chain of the aviation industry. Examples include Airbus’ Skywise Predictive Maintenance Services enables open aviation data platform for full aircraft data and advanced predictive analytics and Rolls-Royce’s IntelligenceEngine, an all-encompassing digital strategy which represents a paradigm shift in the way it designs, produces and supports propulsion systems.

"We have been very satisfied with this year's Singapore Airshow and in particular with the high-level visitor profiles, with customers and partners from across the region and beyond, and for every part of our business," said Sean Lee, Head of Communications, Asia-Pacific, Airbus.

Strategic Platform for Global Participation

Marking its unwavering commitment to the aviation industry in the region, more than 100 companies were featured at the US pavilion, making it the largest US presence ever at the Singapore Airshow. More than 60 of these participating companies comprising of contractors, integrators, equipment manufacturers, small to medium enterprises and maintenance specialists were new to the Airshow.

“The Singapore Airshow had a buzz right from the start. It has always been good, but 2018 is the best it has been in 10 years. The Singapore Airshow 2018 has been a tremendous success for the participating companies at the US pavilion centered around high quality of strategic dialogues and potential partnerships focused on new technologies and innovations,” Tom Kallman, President and CEO, Kallman Worldwide, Inc., U.S. Representative and Organizer of the USA Partnership Pavilion.

The 2018 edition also saw the participation of new global exhibitors such as the Turkish Aerospace Industries.

“Our debut at the Singapore Airshow has been a fulfilling one with many opportunities for us to introduce Turkish Aerospace Industries’ services and products while also establishing strong collaborations within the industry, said Fahrettin Ozturk, Vice President, Strategy and Technology Management, Turkish Aerospace Industries. “For our participation at the next Airshow, we will bring a more extensive showcase, including our training jet and helicopter.”

Shaping the Future with New Thinking, New Innovations

What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow saw in-depth exchange between start-ups and potential investors. New technologies and innovations across a wide range of participation from start-ups in IoT, mobility and even advanced healthcare were showcased and pitched at the Airshow. The inaugural What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow offered budding entrepreneurs the opportunity to interact with industry heavyweights, share ideations and establish new business development leads.

“Engagement with startups should be a continuous process throughout the year for potential partners and investors to understand the nature of the technology these start-ups are providing, and their business model before they can bring the technology to market and explore win-win collaborations. This What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow start-up showcase is such an avenue to do so,” said Harris Chan, Chief Digital Officer, ST Engineering, one of the judges at the What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow pitching sessions. “In fact, across the sessions, we’ve seen very promising start-ups who are tackling the forefront of change by incorporating the emergence of the Industrial 4.0 revolution in ideas that include autonomy, AI, cyber security and leveraging IoT.”

According to Siril Saji George, Pre-Sales Manager, Graymatics, who runs a start-up focused on developing scalable cloud platform to allow for automatic real-time indexing, analysis and classification of content, and was part of the What’s Next @ Singapore Airshow start-up showcase pitching sessions, “Being amidst these industry giants was very educational as we got to check out new technologies in the pipeline and explore opportunities for collaboration with them in various areas beyond just aviation. We have achieved between 40 to 50 percent strong leads with near-term collaborations, as well as exploratory enquiries from corporates on new technology implementations they are considering adding to annual plans.”

The Airshow has always been focused on bringing the latest trends and creating avenues for the aviation and aerospace industry to connect, drive change and shape its future. It is a platform that has witnessed long-term partnerships and strategic collaborations across both industry heavyweights and emerging start-ups to pave the way for transforming the future of the aviation industry.

“We are encouraged by the continuous support of our stakeholders, exhibitors and visitors for the Singapore Airshow as the strategic platform for key industry players and emerging start-ups to come together and pave the way to transform the future of the aviation industry,” said Leck Chet Lam, Managing Director, Experia Events. “As we look towards the 2020 edition, we recognise the importance of staying relevant in order to ensure enriching experiences and valuable connections for all attendees.”

Singapore Airshow 2020 will be held from 11 to 16 February 2020 at Changi Exhibition Centre.