fastest-growing markets for its products. “We look at the capabilities a country has and where we could potentially develop with them and grow to support our business interests,” Pearson explained. Much of Boeing’s current and future international business is linked to globaliza-tion and expanding investment in developing countries. These nations’ evolving security needs have broadened opportunities for Boeing to grow international defense sales to 30 percent of revenue. And in Brazil, China, Indonesia, Russia, Turkey, the Middle East and elsewhere, airlines looking to accommodate first-time travelers have helped grow the company’s commercial backlog to 4,400 airplanes. Yet customers in these nations often want more from Boeing than superior airplanes or services, especially when the government has a financial stake in an airline or purchases defense products, according to Shep Hill, 18 BOEING FRONTIERS / JUNE 2013 president of Boeing International. “We have to think differently,” Hill said. “We need to build win-win relationships in emerging markets to support Boeing’s business and strategy. We can no longer simply fly into a country, make a sale and fly out. There is an added expectation that we will contribute to their local economy and help develop their skill base.” Hill’s Boeing International team partners with Commercial Airplanes; Defense, Space & Security; and Engineering, Operations & Technology to strengthen the company’s global presence to meet these objectives. Boeing’s track record shows the company is making progress in this effort. “We are keeping our promises to put a country’s talents to work for Boeing products and industry at large,” said Gwen Kopsie, BDS director of International Strategic Partnerships. “Our ability to deliver on our commitments—and to build on existing talent—is exactly why international partners want to work with Boeing.” Kopsie said the Boeing team continues to look for future collaborations in countries such as Brazil, Saudi Arabia and India, among others. Collaboration is at the heart of the alliance that Boeing and Brazilian airplane manufacturer Embraer announced in April 2012. Every other month since early last year, Commercial Airplanes engineer Mike Dey and his colleagues have traveled to Embraer headquarters in Saõ José dos Campos, Brazil, to brainstorm and test ideas in flight simulators. In intervening months, the Embraer team visits Puget Sound. These exchanges led to the announce-ment, last December, that Boeing and Embraer will reduce the risk of runway ex-cursions by offering new pilot training, pilot procedures and flight-deck technology to customers. The companies are also coop-erating in two Embraer defense programs, the A-29 Super Tucano and KC-390.
Frontiers June 2013 Issue
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