Page 16 - AAA JULY-AUGUST 2012 Online Magazine

FEATURE INNOVATION

a strong ability to network with groups through our technical academy. this is Innovation is not
that look at the big picture – not just a virtual academy [that] provides new
a supra-specialist view – to help the members of our specialist high potential just about a better
innovation process. “that’s why we set pool with the opportunity to work on joint engine. It’s about
up the new cell in Bangalore, to get an projects, network with other technical making the most of
indian perspective on some of the issues specialists and be mentored by existing
we want to look at,” he says. “they have rolls-royce Fellows.” this virtual-global the available talent
both operational specialists; but just as approach allows a mix of expertise to be
important, broad brush clever people like introduce to any problem, according to
ardhendu Pathak. we want people who kumar – and results in innovative and - Tony Fernandes, CEO, AirAsia
are just as good at history and philosophy profitable solutions.
as engineering.” he mentions one team
at the cell that is looking at collision Not just technology
avoidance systems, but from a different although the buzz in today’s industry is
perspective. “the indian researchers often about the use of new technology –
don’t have the same preconceptions as new assembly techniques, new materials,
some western engineers,” he says. “they new design software – it must be
look at things in a different, simpler way. remembered that innovation can spread
and we have to say it works.” its benefit farther across the industry
however, as rolls-royce’s kumar than only to the things we can touch. it
notes, the use of this kind of hothouse could be, as rolls-royce puts it, ideas
environment works well in fostering that improve the way they work; how
innovation - but can be hard to set up in the organisation works, or how tools or
bricks and mortar, brains and scribble- technology are used. as airasia’s ceo
pads unless you have eaDs’s budget. tony Fernandes noted at a recent event,
“we have to ensure that we have in many companies the organisation is
the right balance of technical skills and extremely hierarchical. “too often there
experience amongst the future technology are 10 brains, and the rest of the company
leaders,” he says. “one way we do this is are just implementers,” he says. “For a

FLYING GREEN
Brazil already has an enviable
reputation for bio-ethanol-
fuelled cars. Embraer was the
first to develop a fully bio-fueled
aircraft (the Ipanema, in 2007),
and is exploring the development
of biofuel for commercial use
in jets. The company recently
signed an MOU with engine-
maker GE and biofuel company
Amyris to evaluate renewable
fuels, starting with sugarcane.
The first ever sugarcane biofuel
jet flight took place at the Rio
+20 United Nations Conference
on Sustainable Development
last month, and Embraer is also
working with Boeing to explore
the commercial use of aviation jet
fuel made from renewables.

16 ASIAN AIRLINES & AIRPORTS JULY / AUGUST 2012 WWW.ASIANAIRLINES-AIRPORTS.COM