Specialists in the manufacturing and assembly of complex aerostructures, and market leaders in the supply of skins and mobile sub-assemblies for fixed-wing aircraft, Sonaca and Novae Aerospace are announcing the creation of a joint company: AERO FORMING Transylvania.

Established in Romania in the city of Turda, near Cluj-Napoca, the capital of Transylvania, the new company has an initial investment of €18M, and will be operational in 2017.

With SONACA controlling 60% and NOVAE AEROSPACE controlling 40%, the AERO FORMING Transylvania joint venture enables both partners to pool their industrial knowledge on these technologies, and create a major player within the aerostructure elementary parts and sub-assemblies production chain.

The joint venture is the result of both groups' common ambitions, to put at their clients disposal – aircraft manufacturers and global Tier-1 companies in the aeronautical and space industries – a technically innovative and competitive solution in the field of stretching medium and large sheet-metal parts, aiming to secure ramp-up created by the demands of new manufacturing programs.

In recent years, both partners have adapted their industrial organisations to respond to the changes and challenges of the aerospace industry. Strengthening their manufacturing bases in Belgium for SONACA, and in France for NOVAE AEROSPACE, they have both already invested in Romania, due to the excellence in expertise that the country has developed in specialised technologies for aerostructures.

By creating AERO FORMING Transylvania, SONACA and NOVAE AEROSPACE demonstrate to their clients the unique competitiveness of their globalised industrial strategy, organised around production sites close to the final assembly lines and other units located within the “best cost” region.

Bernard Delvaux, SONACA CEO: "This joint-venture is an excellent opportunity for the SONACA group to develop its manufacturing activity in an increasingly competitive aerostructure market environment. The partnership with NOVAE AEROSPACE ensures that the capacity of this new modern and efficient structure is fully utilised”.

Cédric Taveau, NOVAE AEROSPACE CEO: “Based on our successes in manufacturing sheet metal parts in Romania over a number of years, we are pleased and proud to lead this ambitious project with SONACA, a recognised partner in the aerostructure market. We are ideally positioned to support aerospace programs ramp up, and bring to our clients the competitive solutions and industrial expertise that they are looking for."