Airbus has officially opened its new Airbus Tech Hub in Daejeon, strengthening South Korea’s role as a key technology partner in the global aerospace industry.
Positioned in the country’s leading R&D cluster, the hub will drive collaboration across three main fields: future energy solutions, advanced lightweight composites and next-generation defence and space technologies.
The hub is being launched in partnership with Korea’s Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy (MOTIE) and Daejeon Metropolitan City.
According to Mark Bentall, Airbus Head of R&T Programme, the investment marks a ‘deepening commitment’ after 50 years of cooperation with Korea, enabling Airbus to accelerate future aircraft technologies through Korean innovation.
To support rapid project development, Airbus signed three Memorandums of Understanding at the launch ceremony. The first, with MOTIE, establishes a framework for joint research programmes. The second, with Daejeon City, sets out support for Airbus initiatives within the city’s tech ecosystem. The third, with the Korea International Trade Association (KITA), focuses on identifying new innovation partners through KITA’s open-innovation platform.
Early projects include work with LIG Nex1 on space chip antenna technology for communication systems, and with EMCoretech on active filtering technologies to support aircraft electrification.
Airbus’ long-standing presence in Korea includes partnerships with major suppliers Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI) and Korean Air Aerospace Division, contributing components for the A320, A330 and A350. Airbus procurement currently supports around 6,000 jobs and injects roughly US$600 million into the Korean economy each year.
The new Daejeon hub joins existing Airbus Tech Hubs in Japan, the Netherlands and Singapore.
