Airbus 2015 Annual Report Download - page 83

AIRBUS GROUP REGISTRATION DOCUMENT 2015 l 51 l
Informationon GroupActivities
Registration Document 2015
1.
1.1 Presentation of the Group
1.1.9 Research and Technology, Intellectual Property
Positioning AirbusGroup for the future
AirbusGroup’s technological expertise is essential for ensuring
the Company’s long-term market leadership and opening
business opportunities in new markets. The Group’s research
and technology efforts are focused on profitability, value creation,
market position and delivering competitive, integrated solutions
for its customers, along with exploring emerging concepts that
will shape its future.
The AirbusGroup Corporate Technical Office (CTO) is the focal
point for this activity, ensuring that business and technology
strategies are closely linked. The CTO addresses technology
trends that impact the Group’s business, and identifies key
areas for research and technology. It is responsible for the
AirbusGroup Innovations research and technology network and
also oversees information technology, cyber security, quality,
new business ventures and intellectual property activities across
the Group.
Leading a Group-wide Strategy
Corporate-level research and technology efforts are centered
around nine key strategic technology roadmaps that provide the
framework on which to build AirbusGroup’s competitiveness and
capabilities. Elaborated by the Divisions under the leadership of
the CTO, these shared roadmaps were created for faster delivery
of new technologies by optimizing group-wide research and
technology efforts.
A key part of the technology roadmaps is the CTO’s global reach.
Its international presence facilitates relationships, partnerships
and collaborations that help AirbusGroup develop new products,
services, business models, methods, tools and manufacturing
processes for maintaining the Company’s competitiveness and
leadership into the future.
Other investigations
Following the announcement of investigations by the Romanian
authorities relating to the border surveillance project in Romania
in mid-October2014, Airbus Group confirms that Airbus
Defence andSpaceGmbH has been informed that the German
prosecution office is also investigating potential irregularities in
relation to this project, a project in Saudi Arabia and a project
of Tesat-SpacecomGmbH & Co. KG. The public prosecutor
in Germany has launched administrative proceedings in
the context of those investigations against Airbus Defence
andSpaceGmbH and Tesat-SpacecomGmbH & Co. KG.
AirbusGroup is cooperating fully with the authorities.
Public prosecutors in Greece and Germany launched
investigations into a current employee and former managing
directors and employees of Atlas ElektronikGmbH, a joint
company of ThyssenKrupp and AirbusGroup, on suspicion of
bribing foreign officials and tax evasion. The public prosecutor
in Germany has launched an administrative proceeding
for alleged organisational and supervisory shortfalls. The
authorities in Greece have launched civil claims against
Atlas ElektronikGmbH. In 2015 the public prosecutor´s
office in Bremen launched another investigation into current
and former employees and managing directors of Atlas
ElektronikGmbH on suspicion of bribery and tax evasion
in connection with projects in Turkey. With the support of
its shareholders, the company is cooperating fully with the
authorities and in consultation with the public prosecutor is
assisting the further clarification of the matter through its
own internal investigation.
Commercial disputes
In May2013, the Group has been notified of a commercial
dispute following the decision taken by the Group to cease a
partnership for sales support activities in some local markets
abroad. The Group believes it has solid grounds to legally
object to the alleged breach of a commercial agreement.
However, the consequences of this dispute and the outcome
of the proceedings cannot be fully assessed at this stage. The
arbitration is not expected to be completed before the end of
2016.
In the course of another commercial dispute, the Group
received a statement of claim alleging liability for refunding part
of the purchase price of a large contract which the customer
claims it was not obliged to pay. The Group believes that this
claim, which goes back many years, should be dismissed in
principle. The dispute is currently the subject of arbitration.
In light of regulatory investigations and commercial disputes,
including those discussed above, the Group has determined
to enhance certain of its policies, procedures and practices,
including ethics and compliance. The Group is accordingly in
the process of revising and implementing improved procedures,
including those with respect to its engagement of consultants
and other third parties, in particular in respect of sales support
activities, and is conducting enhanced due diligence as a pre-
condition for future or continued engagement and corresponding
payment. The Group believes that these enhancements to its
controls and practices best position it for the future, particularly
in light of advancements in regulatory standards. The Group
cannot exclude that these changes lead to additional commercial
disputes or other consequences in the future.
Financial Statements 2015
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QRegistration Document 2015
Annual Report 2015 Financial Statements 2015
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