French aerospace cluster Normandie AeroEspace (NAE, Normandy Aerospace) has officially joined the European Aerospace Cluster Partnership (EACP). The Europan organisation, based in Hamburg, Germany, aims at initiating an active exchange of information and knowledge between all partners and at developing and realizing concrete steps for long-term trans-national cooperation between clusters and companies for a stronger and more competitive European position in the world aerospace markets.

Created in 1998, NAE is Normandy’s network for the aerospace, defence and security industries. Its 110 members form a regional network of excellence comprising major industrial groups, airports, a military base, a number of SMEs and intermediate-sized firms as well as research laboratories and institutions of higher learning. The cluster is based in Saint-Etienne-du-Rouvray, near Rouen. Its members represent 14,200 employees and total sales of €2.2bn in 2015.

Integration into the EACP is seen as an important step in NAE’s efforts to give its members greater access to European and international markets. NAE was present for the first time at the recent Farnborough Airshow, following its second participation in Eurosatory, the international defence and security exhibition at Villepinte, near Paris.