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| Newsletter | May 2003 | |
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Contents |
Cranfield College of Aeronautics: "Moving ahead of the curve" | |||
Aerospace and aviation are more exciting today than they have ever been. They are the basis of a truly global industry, which continues to grow in size and in both economic and political importance. The past ten years |
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| have seen some monumental changes - the meteoric rise of the budget
airlines, the crisis that has hit the large airlines, the increasing importance
of the environment, the shift in military thinking following the removal of the
"iron curtain", the rise of network centric warfare and the rapid development
of unmanned air vehicles. Today, the future is uncertain and the problems that we face are more challenging than ever. At the same time, the potential for technical advancement, creativity and innovation is staggering. Major advances are taking place in areas such as information technology and nanotechnology and, when these are fused with air vehicle technology, it will be possible to deliver revolutionary systems that will lead to wealth creation and improvements in the quality of life for many millions of people. The Cranfield College of Aeronautics (CCoA) was created to specifically address the issues facing the aerospace and aviation sectors, to provide intellectual leadership and to train leaders for the industry, the military, the regulators and academia. By drawing together the wide range of skills, capabilities and facilities available across Cranfield University, the College is well equipped to tackle the problems of the 21st century. CCoA offers a unique value proposition to clients (benefits from which clients derive increased value), which is both multi-disciplinary and focused on the future. Moving ahead of the curve We describe our new value proposition as "moving ahead of the curve". The curve we are referring to is the current product/service life cycle curve and the associated business models. The traditional academic value proposition has been predominantly single discipline and focused on the present products and services. Moving ahead of the current life cycle curve to work on future products and services enables us to bring greater value to our clients from strategic planning through to new business launch and beyond.  "Moving ahead of the curve" We do this by:
Communication is a major issue and the Web is a critically important tool. Our Web site is being developed to reflect the key themes and provide:
This year is the 100th anniversary of the Wright Brother's first controlled, powered, manned flight and we are planning a number of activities to mark the event. In June, for the first time, we will have a CCoA stand in the UK Pavilion at the Paris Airshow. This will be used to showcase our unique aerospace capabilities. Then, at the end of the month, we are joining forces with the Cranfield College of Aeronautics Alumni Association to host a major alumni dinner at Cranfield. This is directly linked to the Royal Aeronautical Society's Celebratory Flying Day at Shuttleworth on Sunday 29th June. There will be a number of special guests from the world of aerospace and aviation, each of whom has connections with the College of Aeronautics. Later in the year we intend to hold a special event for our current cohort of students of the College. The student body is truly international, with a large percentage now coming from Europe and a growing number coming from the rest of the world. It is vitally important that the current students understand what the College can do for them throughout their careers and that they value and promote the College at every opportunity. Article kindly written by James P. Angus, Director of Development of Cranfield College of Aeronautics |
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