Rouaud, Laurent (2010) New contenders in the large commercial aircraft manufacturing industry. Toulouse School of Economics (Toulouse).

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Abstract

The incumbent firms in the large commercial aircraft industry (LCA) oligopoly are faced with many short to medium term challenges that will shape their future competitiveness. The financial crisis has accelerated the market dynamics that are driving these challenges. Among them, the sustainable growth of air travel, the increasing costs of new programs and the threat of the new contenders entering the LCA top the list. For all the players and potential players, innovation and internationalization of the supply chain are key determinants of their future competitiveness. The main objective of the thesis is to assess the capacity of emerging countries to turn into innovation powerhouses and become leaders in the large commercial aviation business. The research integrates the supply (technology, structure of the firm, internationalization, strategy, government policy) and the demand side (effect of the airlines market and business strategy on the LCA manufacturers’s strategy). Most of the research in this field have concentrated on the supply side. The thesis focuses on understanding the reasons for the strategic importance of civil aviation in government policy, defining the key determinants of competitveness in the LCA industry, and analyzing the market entry of incumbent firms. More importantly, the research proposes a metric and a cluster analysis to determine whether or not China has the ability to be innovative and to become a leader in the commercial aircraft business.