At Aerospace Tech Week Americas, Paige Stanton Wilson, Chief Operating Officer at Acubed, an Airbus Innovation Center will speaking on investing in the future of aerospace. At the event which runs 19-20th November, Wilson will be joined by speakers from Japan Airlines Ventures, JetBlue Technology Ventures, and Aerospace Xelerated/Boeing to digital transformation, smart manufacturing, data-driven manufacturing and much more.
Ahead of the event, Wilson shared some insight into the upcoming session and the vital role Acubed plays in catalysing innovation in the industry.
Tell us a bit about yourself and Acubed – what does your role entail and how does Acubed fit into the wider ecosystem?
I’m the COO of Acubed and have a background in aerospace research, technology, and innovation. Before Acubed, I supported the launch of several new business units, incubators, departments, and teams at Airbus (Acubed’s parent company). In my current role as COO, I’m responsible for overseeing the company’s technical engagements, spinning up new activities, and building positive relations and bridges with the Silicon Valley ecosystem and the parent company.
Acubed itself was founded in 2015, out of a realization by the Airbus executive committee that there is immense innovation and talent coming out of Silicon Valley and there would be a potential to tap into that for aerospace. Acubed’s current focus is on accelerating the adoption of AI and autonomy within Airbus’ commercial operations, from commercial flight functions to manufacturing, services, and digital airspace management. Through an agile and collaborative approach, Acubed provides value to Airbus by de-risking future investments, building blueprints for new and strategically important topics, partnering with the local ecosystem, and closely monitoring transformative tech trends.
The aerospace industry is evolving rapidly – what is one recent development that you find particularly exciting?
There’s no time like the present to harness AI advancements to tackle some of aviation’s biggest challenges today: challenges in ramping up, supply chain challenges, or our customers’ ability to generate revenues.
What are some key projects or initiatives in the works that are influencing the landscape?
We’re working on several exciting initiatives to help shape the future of flight – here are a few:
- We’re developing certifiable autonomous flight and machine learning solutions to help Airbus bring about a significant increase in safety and efficiency in the next generation of commercial aircraft.
- We’re driving the application of AI across both engineering and manufacturing. This entails creating solutions that enhance safety and efficiency at Airbus manufacturing sites, using computer vision to track operational progress, ensure quality control, and detect foreign objects in real time.
- We’re exploring how to provide airlines with AI analytics to glean data-driven insights to boost cabin operations.
Your session at Aerospace Tech Week Americas focuses on investing in future facing technologies – what themes should the audience look out for in this discussion?
Our session will touch upon the necessity of investing in future-facing technologies to modernize and accelerate manufacturing for OEMs. Key themes include leveraging innovations like automation and AI to improve efficiency and meet growing demand. We’ll also discuss the roles of digital transformation, smart manufacturing, and data-driven decision-making in staying competitive. Ultimately, companies that fail to invest in these areas risk being left behind, so the focus will be on how strategic tech adoption can secure long-term success.
What are you most looking forward to about the event (aside from your own session)?
I’m most excited about the opportunity to engage with fellow leaders in the aerospace industry who are tackling similar challenges. It’s a valuable opportunity to exchange ideas and explore innovative approaches to some of the key issues we face as an industry, such as scaling production to meet demand, ensuring the highest standards of safety, and providing services and solutions that support our customers’ growth. Learning from others’ experiences and sharing insights on common challenges is always a highlight, and I look forward to gaining fresh perspectives that can inspire new solutions.
To watch Wilson’s sessions and hear from industry leading innovators, book your ticket for free here.
For more from industry leaders also see:
- The next big aerospace innovations with the MD of JetBlue Ventures
- How start ups and industry giants can drive change together with Jacqueline Davidson, Program Director, Aerospace Xelerated
- SunExpress’ move to IOCC boosts on-time performance by 6 per cent