In Poland, as in other countries, the aviation industry is one of the most innovative sectors of the economy. Poland has the largest worldwide intensity of spending on research and development of aviation companies. Companies cooperate with local and international universities and research centers. Poland manufactures helicopters, ultra-light aircraft, small aircraft, gliders, drones. Aviation companies in Poland form a network of subcontractors for aircraft manufacturers worldwide.
Characteristic is also the focus of enterprises in four centers and the related emergence of aviation clusters. {{Cluster initiatives have created an international dimension.
Most aviation companies are located in south-eastern Poland (Podkarpackie Voivodship), so called “Aviation Valley”. Important centers are also Bielsko-Biala, Kalisz and Warsaw. That also resulted in other cluster initiatives: Silesian Aviation Cluster, Network Aviation Agreement “AVIA – weave”, Mazovia Cluster Air Aviation, Aerospace Industries Association of Entrepreneurs, “Greater Cluster Airport”.
Aviation Valley Association carries out together with the University of Zilina Slovak project “Development and promotion of the Polish-Slovak border aviation cluster.” Project is financed by the European Union from the European Regional Development Fund and the state budget through the Carpathian Euroregion in the CBC Programme Poland – Slovak Republic 2007 – 2013. Project applicant is the Association of the Group Aviation Industry Entrepreneurs “Aviation Valley”. The total project value is € 44,766, the amount subsidized by the European Regional Development Fund is € 38,051.
Silesia has a large concentration of companies producing ultra-light aircraft, carbon and polymer composites, not only for the aviation industry. Gliders from Silesia gained worldwide fame. Success in sports also helped, among them George Makula won the World Championship in Venlo, the Netherlands, flying on FOXI (produced by the Aviation Plant Marganski & Mysłowski of Bielsko-Biala). Over 90% of pilots involved in gliding acrobatics flies on gliders produced by the Aviation Plant Marganski & Mysłowski. In 2001, work started on a new design of aircraft – twin engine airplane dispositional EM-11 “Orca,” which won two national awards: Model Year 2006 – a special prize of the Minister of the Enterprise for the best product designed by Polish designer and produced by a Polish businessman and the Good Design 2006 – the special qualities of design.
Other companies in Silesian Aviation Cluster, producing and renovating the gliders are: Allstar PZL Glider (glider SZD-50-3 Owl, SZD-51-1 Junior SZD-55-1, SZD-59 Acro), Sailplane Jeżów Plants (repairs gliders) , 3Xtrim Aviation Plant (production of ultra-light aircraft Moskito, Eol, 3Xtrim), Remos Ltd. Light Construction Plant (production of ultra-light aircraft Eol 2), Smith Equipment Repair Service Department of Aviation (maintenance and repair of gliders), Bureau of Design B Bogumil Beres (among other things, high performance aircraft SZD-56-1 “Diana”, but also design and manufacture of composite structures reinforced with glass fibers, carbon and aramid high performance), Sailplane WIRKK Service (repair of gliders and powered sailplanes).
Aviation Industry Association of Entrepreneurs, “Cluster of Greater Airport” is an initiative of four aviation companies focused in Kalisz: Pratt & Whitney Kalisz Sp. z o. o. (Engine turboprop, turbofan for business, local communication aircrafts and helicopters), Vac Aero Kalisz Sp. z o. o. (Support activities in the area of aviation special processes), Meyer Tool Poland Sp. z o. o. (Processing apparatus in charge of engines made from highly air, heat resistant and hard materials) and WSK “PZL-Kalisz” – the largest aviation company in Wielkopolska and initiator of the cluster, the production of aircraft engines.
Mazowiecki Cluster MAZOVIA AVIATION Aviation was established in order to support the industrial development of small and medium-sized airports. It belongs to the European Aerospace Cluster Partnership – EACP.
Among the companies producing drones is a company from Ożarów Mazowiecki Electronics WB (UAV FlyEye), Eurotech Company Ltd. of Mielec (“MJ-7 Shogun” UAV unmanned air platform).
Air Force Institute of Technology has developed an unmanned aircraft with vertical takeoff and landing “Hummingbird”, a lightweight unmanned observation aircraft, “bat”, which could have be seen during the show “Unmanned Aircraft of domestic production”. The presentation took place at 23 in the Tactical Air Base in Minsk Mazowiecki, 12 July 2011.
The aviation industry in Poland has numerous links with the global aviation companies. Its branches in Wielkopolska opened, among others. Meyer Tool – American manufacturer of parts for the aviatione industry, Sandvik – Swedish manufacturer of cutting tools, stainless steel, materials electrofusion and conveyor belts, Pratt & Whitney Canada – The world leader in the production of engines, Vac Aero International – Canada.
In south-eastern Poland we have investments from UTC (USA) and belonging to a Aircraft Sikorsky and Hamilton Sundstrand, Augusta Westland (Italy), MTU Aero Engines (Germany), Hispano-Suiza (Safran Group), Goodrich (USA).
Polish companies co-operate with the aviation industry worldwide by designing and producing parts for the latest versions of passenger aircraft (among other things, Airbus and Boeing). There is also big interest in the aviation industry from foreign capital enterprises, which creates a green field investment and invests in existing businesses. Foreign capital creates a sector of small and medium-sized companies that provide components for the aviation industry. International cooperation is being developed.
This article was published on October 13, 2011 in the publication “Innovative Companies of the Aviation Sector” and on the websites www.kataloglotniczy.pl
Kosmonauta.net would like to send its regards towards Mrs Justyna Janik for providing the article.
