The ILA, one of the world’s most important aerospace trade fairs, will take place at the Expo Center Airport in Berlin from April 25 to 29. In addition to numerous civilian manufacturers, many defense companies will also be exhibiting there, and visitors will be able to see a total of 200 military aircraft.
The future BER airport in Berlin Schönefeld will be the venue for the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) Berlin from April 25 to 29. More than 1,000 exhibitors will be showcasing their expertise, including numerous civilian manufacturers and suppliers, as well as security and defense companies. For the first time this year, Militär Aktuell will be a media partner of the event, which no longer refers to itself as an “air show” or aviation trade fair, but rather wants to make a name for itself as an “innovation trade fair” in future. With this redefinition, the trade fair organizers are taking into account the advancing technological developments of recent years. The aim is to establish itself as an innovation platform for revolutionary technologies in the fields of Mobility 4.0, digitalization, 3D printing, climate and green technology. The conditions for this are good: with flying cabs, emission-free aircraft, innovative drone concepts, revolutionary rocket engines and drones from the printer, the aerospace industry is one of the most important drivers of innovation. This is also evidenced by the high level of R&D expenditure:German industry representatives, for example, invest eleven percent of their turnover in research and development, around twice as much as companies in other industries.
The new concept seems to be catching on. The organizers already reported a good booking situation at the beginning of the year, and the changed concept, which is particularly open to smaller companies, start-ups and new technologies, is taking hold. “The booking figures for the exhibition and conferences are at a record level,” says Volker Thum, Managing Director of the ILA organizer, the German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI): “ILA 2018 will provide a boost for the entire aerospace industry. The new concept of ILA Berlin as a marketing platform for innovations and technical developments is working – both for established key players and for young, highly innovative companies. ILA Berlin is meeting with high national and international demand.” Represented at ILA for the first time are Kawasaki from Japan (see interview on page 41), the Israeli aerospace companies ELBIT Systems Ltd. and IAI -Israel Aerospace Industries Ltd. as well as Kongsberg Defense & Aerospace AS from Norway. Despite the political ice age with Russia, there will – according to the organizers – be a large Russian participation. For example, ROSCOSMOS, Russian Export Center JSC and Eurasian Partnership of Aerospace Clusters (EPAC) will also be present. The market leaders Airbus (including the Defense and Space and Helicopters divisions), Boeing and Lockheed Martin Corporation will also be present, as will Lufthansa Technik AG, MTU Aero Engines AG, Rolls-Royce RUAG Aviation and the Saab Group. In addition, suppliers such as Diehl Aerospace, Autoflug and Rhode & Schwarz. Incidentally, the partner country this year is France, from where important delegations are expected. Around 200 military aircraft will be on display in the air and on the ground. The German Armed Forces will be presenting large exhibits such as the Eurofighter and the NH90 helicopter. From the US Marines comes the new Sikorsky CH-53K heavy-lift helicopter, which is competing in Germany. And the big topic for the future will probably be the Franco-German announcement of the development of a new fighter aircraft as a successor to the Eurofighter and Rafále.
