Thales Alenia Space lays cornerstone for new plant in L’Aquila
December 14, 2011
Thales Alenia Space celebrated today the start of construction on its new production plant in L’Aquila, after the previous building was condemned because of serious damage suffered during the earthquake on April 6, 2009.
The Cornerstone Ceremony was held at the Pile industrial park in L'Aquila, and was attended by regional and local elected officials, as well as senior executives from Thales Alenia Space.
Thales Alenia Space has operated in L’Aquila for almost thirty years, specializing in the production of electronic equipments and spacecraft antennas. Because of the sophisticated production machines and highly qualified staff, the plant is recognized worldwide for its technological excellence and production quality. The new plant will carry on this tradition of development, engineering and production of electronic equipment, hybrid circuits, antennas and composite structures for a vast range of space applications, including remote sensing, telecommunications, radar, defense and more.
“It is with great pride that I have come here today to celebrate this milestone in our company's history" said Luigi Pasquali, CEO of Thales Alenia Space Italia. "It is a strong and tangible sign of Thales Alenia Space Italia’s unwavering commitment to maintaining and strengthening our presence in the L’Aquila region, while also reflecting our confidence in the future of both the region and our company. Right from the beginning, we have taken an active role to protect our employees and work closely with public authorities to do all that is needed to carry on our long industrial tradition in the region.”
The new plant will cover some 16,080 square meters (173,664 sq ft), including 10,215 square meters for production, 1,550 square meters for services/utilities, and 4,070 square meters of offices. The new building is designed to comply with the most severe earthquake-proof regulations.
The production areas were designed using “Lean” principles, to ensure optimized work flows and a high degree of reconfigurability, to meet fluctuating production demand and adapt to evolving technologies. The design also incorporates energy saving solutions, including heat recovery systems and material recycling. Thales Alenia Space designed the building as a model for unyielding quality standards and seamless integration with the surrounding environment.
“The new building in L’Aquila gives us the opportunity to meet ambitious new production objectives and increase our efficiency and technological competitiveness at the European level" said Reynald Seznec, President and CEO of Thales Alenia Space.
Once completed, the new building will house not only Thales Alenia Space’s previous production lines, but also new lines dedicated to large, lightweight SAR (synthetic aperture radar) satellite antennas.
The actual construction will last about 15 months. At the end of this period, equipment will gradually be transferred and testing will be carried out without any interruption in production, to ensure maximum continuity for programs and clients alike.
