Global Business Awards 2020

AEROSPACE SME TACKLES CLIMATE CHANGE, FOOD PRODUCTION AND THE PANDEMIC One of the advantages of being a versatile, small or medium-sized enterprise (SME) is that one can quickly address urgent issues that affect not only the industry, but the whole planet. Barrett Aerospace Pte Ltd - winner of the Corporate Vision (UK) Global Business Award for Leading Specialists in Cutting- Edge Aircraft Design 2020 - has been tackling this problematic situation and building on the company’s reputation as a leading specialist in the relatively niche field of composite aircraft design and electric vehicles. Laurence Barrett founded the company in Singapore in 2015, with the vision of developing a talented and passionate team who would apply an innovative approach to aircraft design, test, build and to deliver elegant, turnkey solutions to some of the trickiest aerospace problems. One of the main drivers for the company is the need to address climate change. Barrett Aerospace intends to develop innovative, clean aerospace technologies to overcome the impact aviation has made on global warming. Laurence is a hands-on leader and works under the ethos that “ we are all in this together ”, encouraging the team’s innate curiosity and appetite for pursuing the right solutions to all manner of challenges, including some very short lead times. Additionally, Laurence finds that being an SME has a distinct advantage in terms of flexibility and being able to partner with international companies of all sizes. Moreover, Singapore is geographically situated in the centre of a truly world-reaching, international hub. “ Efficient delivery does not mean sacrificing quality, irrespective of the complexity of the projec t” says Laurence, who relishes being presented with a thorny problem. “One of the reasons we are so successful is because we love to work with other specialists in our supply chain who can bring their own expertise to the team, with the result that together we are able to find innovative technologies to resolve the issue.” Barrett Aerospace’s CEO and Founder, Laurence Barrett, talks to Corporate Vision about how the company is addressing world problems with innovative technologies Aug20487 What differentiates Barrett Aerospace from its competitors is the firm’s technical knowledge and understanding of the industry as well as its inner workings. The company started from deeply understanding the material science of composite technology, before using this base knowledge to push the boundaries of cutting-edge composite products. Barrett Aerospace strongly believes that composite technologies are the future of aerospace, and the firm often finds itself integrating new and digital technologies to keep setting the pace for others in the business. The company’s solutions are not strictly limited to futuristic, composite designs though. It can also make full use of older designs, incorporating both new and existing technology when developing a solution that exactly matches what the client needs. This flexibility in developing solutions that make use of designs from throughout modern history is invaluable when understanding some of the trends which have come into force in the aerospace industry. Alice project: a global innovation partnership to deliver a world first A recent example of an international collaboration project Barrett Aerospace has worked on is Eviation’s all-electric, zero emission Alice aircraft. The project goal was not to create a plane that could replace current aircraft in the industry, but to build an aircraft from scratch from an entirely new perspective, always changing the way people travel regionally through affordable, sustainable aviation. Alice is a nine-seater commercial, commuter aeroplane incorporating an ultra- modern design, with a range of up to 650 miles at a cruise speed of 240 knots. Made from lightweight composite materials, this new aircraft will significantly reduce the cost of flying; its estimated costs are less than 50 per cent of the non-electric equivalent, whilst delivering the same performance. A demonstration version of Alice was launched at the 2019 Paris Air Show, having been designed and built in under four years, quite a feat in the aerospace industry, with components produced in 21 countries. Orders are already flowing in. Barrett Aerospace designed, built and delivered Alice’s entire empennage tail assembly, drawing on the company’s in-house expert team and its accredited global supply chain. “ We were thrilled to have been invited to partner with Eviation on the prestigious Alice project. To be at the cutting edge of aerospace technology and working with incredibly talented teams around the