Airbus Adopts Software Solution Developed by Helmes

Helmes has been selected as an official supplier for Airbus, the leading company in the aerospace industry. Now the first system born out of this collaboration is already launched. We have developed a custom-made IT solution that helps Airbus manage the production process of aircraft. The solution is being used by engineers at the company’s headquarters in France and in its main production units around Europe.

Helmes joined forces with Airbus, providing its aircraft-manufacturing subsidiary Airbus Commerce with an IT system that makes one stage of its production process significantly more effective. We are the first Estonian IT company to become an official supplier to Airbus.

A key aspect in manufacturing airliners is the implementation of new technical standards, and it was software for this purpose that Helmes developed. “We came up with a new solution that will help Airbus keep the costs involved in adopting technical standards under control,” explained Helmes project manager Tanel Saag.

“What surprised our development team most was how enthusiastically cooperative and quick to make decisions Airbus was, given its size. The entire development period went by without a hitch, and in a real spirit of mutual understanding.”

The mapping of Airbus’ concerns and what the company wanted from the partnership was followed by development on Helmes’ part, after which the aircraft manufacturer’s engineers adopted the new system. For the moment it has gone into use at the company’s headquarters in Toulouse in France, but it can be utilized in all of Airbus’ production units.

“Considering the global competition that such big, well-known companies face, joining forces with Airbus is a major achievement for Helmes, and for that matter for Estonia as a whole, being the small place it is,” said Helmes’ business unit lead Priit Siilaberg. “Our reputation as a digital state was definitely helpful in getting a foot in the door, but there was already trust there thanks to previous interaction with us via a third partner. And this project won’t be the last we work on with Airbus – from here, the only way is up! Our partnership shows that even small companies from small countries can win the trust of major players and successfully compete with global IT providers.”

Giovanni David, Airbus Corporate Affairs representative, commented, “The benefits of this collaboration are very clear. Today we can coordinate industry standardization processes in ways we were unable to before. Innovation is one of our main objectives and this is what Helmes also represents.”

We see Helmes as one of the main players in digital innovation due to their great experience in the field.

“I can say that Helmes was a perfect partner for that project. It is also appreciated that they are small enough to be fast and big enough to cover our needs, so that they can work both pro- and reactively, adapting to our needs.”