The Aerospace Vehicle Systems Institute (AVSI) is expanding its presence in Europe with the addition of Airbus as a full member. Airbus is one of the world’s leading aircraft manufacturers. The aerospace industry is inherently global in nature, said David Redman, Director of AVSI. "Our U.S.-based members are expanding their international operations while non-U.S. companies are increasing their presence here. The addition of Airbus to the cooperative signals the intent of the current membership to bring a more diverse set of members to the table to solve issues common to all aerospace companies. We fully expect to engage additional European aerospace companies, regulatory agencies, government agencies and universities to increase the value AVSI delivers to its members. AVSI is a cooperative of aerospace companies, the Department of Defense and Federal Aviation Administration working together address issues that impact the aerospace community. Airbus approached AVSI through its interest in our System Architecture Virtual Integration, or SAVI program, Redman said. "SAVI is a multi-year, multi-million dollar program that is developing the capability to virtually integrate systems before designs are committed to hardware as a means of managing the exponentially increasing complexity of modern aerospace systems. Airbus participation in SAVI has really enhanced the collaborative effort on the current proof-of-concept project. We hope to see their participation grow in additional projects to enhance the benefit to all participants. Current membership in AVSI includes: Airbus; BAE Systems; Boeing; the Department of Defense; Federal Aviation Administration; General Electric; Goodrich Aerospace; Hamilton Sundstrand; Honeywell International; Lockheed Martin; NASA; and Rockwell Collins. AVIS is a research center of the Texas Engineering Experiment Station (TEES), which is a member of The Texas A&M University System.
