SEPTEMBER 2022AEROSPACEDEFENSEREVIEW.COM9alternative fuels are not competent enough to substitute traditional fuels completely. Hence, there are studies and researches being conducted on these alternative fuels and hopefully, with the help of the government entities, we can successfully eliminate the risk of traditional fuels.What are your thoughts about these alternative sustainable fuels and technologies like electrification and hybrid vehicles?As I mentioned before, alternative fuels are the future. Numerous studies are being conducted where some are confidential and private. Nonetheless, the need for substitute fuels is much needed. In that matter, I would say electrification is an exhilarating development. However, the key issue with implementing this idea is that the energy storage capacity currently in the industry is that of lithium-ion battery which is a bit above 200 Watts. This is where we are currently lacking at. But apart from that, I would say, electrification will be a breakthrough in the aerospace industry. Most importantly, with electrification comes the matter of hydrogen issues. Hydrogen comes with complex logistics and hence it needs a lot of tooling and needs to be stored on the ground. This might not be possible in locations in countries where they don't have enough development. At the same time, producing clean hydrogen is also one of the issues that need to be tackled. Currently, there are not many countries that can offer the amount of energy needed to generate hydrogen. We have to find means to produce clean hydrogen and I think it will take some more time and years to materialise it.What are some of your advice to the coming generation of the aerospace industry?My advice will be to serve your customer well. Like any other industry, aerospace also gives its primary focus to its customers. In fact, it is because the customers,OEM (Original Equipment Manufacturers) like us exist. We can say that, basically this industry is driven by its customers. We should be able to understand the current and future requirements of the customers and equip ourselves to meet their demands. So as a leader, you should possess the skill to listen to your customer the market and predict the future trends. This way, when finally the day comes, you will be able to fulfil your customers' needs whether it is the acceptance of a new product or the improvements they expect from us.On the other hand, I would like to stress the importance of a collaborative working environment and that's what all the ventures in this landscape should follow. It is crucial that there is active and clear communication within the team. The goal and focus should align and the team should work as an entity. When I say active collaboration, I mean both internally and externally too. There should also be clear communication with your customers, key suppliers, and parties involved. The complexity of this industry requires that sort of cooperation for a smooth workflow.Besides being humble can take you a long way in this business. The complex nature of the aerospace industry requires you to seamlessly cooperate with everyone along the chain of management and with every level of people. You need to possess the attributes of the right soft skills to effectively convey your message to everyone. This gives a chance for you to learn from everyone and teach them your insights too. Such an attitude will certainly contribute to the progress of your business as well. TECHNOLOGIES LIKE AUTOMATION AND 3D PRINTING, NOT ONLY ENSURE PRECISION BUT ALSO SIGNIFICANTLY ACCELERATE THE PRODUCTION CYCLE OF THE MANUFACTURING PROCESS
< Page 8 | Page 10 >