Airbus Bizlab signs MoU to help set up innovation centre in Kerala

New Centre of Innovation spotlights Airbus push for ‘Startup India’

Thiruvananthapuram, 17 November 2018 - Airbus Bizlab India signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with the government of Kerala on Saturday to help establish an aerospace-focused innovation centre in Thiruvananthapuram.

The Kerala Startup Mission (KSUM) is aimed at fostering and nurturing an enabling ecosystem for aviation startups in the state. The move highlights Airbus India’s continued commitment to the “Startup India” mission.

Under the MoU, Airbus Bizlab India will coordinate with global Airbus teams and startups to develop Proof of Concepts with the support of different public agencies in Kerala. Upon successful demonstration of the Proof of Concepts by Airbus teams and startups, the innovation centre will help them set up partnerships and deploy the chosen technologies in the state.

The Government of Kerala will provide the space for the centre as well as logistical support to manage and run the programme. The mission has been envisioned for a year to begin with.

“We are confident that this partnership with Airbus Bizlab will help embed innovation in the industrial ecosystem of Kerala. It will up-skill the local youth and will enhance employability,” said Chief Minister of Kerala, Mr. Pinarayi Vijayan.

“The initiative aims to foster local talent in the aerospace domain and help promising startups to contribute towards shaping the future of flying not only in India but the world,” said Mr. Anand E. Stanley, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia. “We are building this partnership on the strong foundation that Airbus Bizlab already has in India.”

The MoU signing ceremony was graced by Chief Minister Mr. Vijayan and Dr. Saji Gopinath, CEO KSUM. Airbus was represented by Bizlab India Leader, Mr. Siddharth Balachandran.

“This is a big step in supporting the ‘Startup India’ initiative as Airbus teams, startups and the Government of Kerala will work together towards developing and deploying cutting edge aerospace technologies,” said Mr. Balachandran.

Airbus BizLab is a global aerospace business accelerator where startups and Airbus intrapreneurs speed up the transformation of innovative ideas into valuable businesses. Since its inception in 2015, Airbus BizLab has accelerated 50 startups and 40 internal projects, which have raised a combined € 19.5 million.