Northwest Aerospace News October | November Issue No. 5 | Page 35

M
elanie Jordan, CEO of the
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Alliance
(PNAA) wore a sunny yellow jacket to
the convening of the Aerospace Clus-
ter’s meeting in September 2018. Did
the jacket set the tone for the meeting
of aerospace leaders all vying for the
same piece of the pie?
The meeting was a “convening of the
Pacific Northwest Aerospace Cluster
organizational leaders,” for a “cross-
state collaboration that provides a
neutral forum for leaders to gather
for the shared purpose of supporting,
strengthening and growing our aero-
space industry.”
As aerospace is a crucial economic
driver across several states, PNAA and
other regional groups thought it would
be a good idea to develop a collabora-
tive approach.
There can be challenges in organiza-
tions not working together whether
due to geography, finances, diverse
purposes or audiences.
“This convening gives us
the opportunity for a mutu-
al North Star,” said Jordan.
According to Jordan, “The high-level
goal of the meeting was to discover
areas of commonality, build trusting
relationships, map stakeholders, build
linkages and networks.” She added
with a smile and enthusiasm, “We also
want to align our strategies to support
one another.”
This approach could be considered a
breath of fresh air, and innovative in
the way that membership organizations
work together.
First, the Pacific Northwest is well known as being a major aerospace hub for
commercial aerospace manufacturing and defense. But, according to Michel
Merluzeau, Director, Market Analysis for AIR (AirInsightResearch), OEMs and
suppliers should not take this position for granted.
He shared that China will be a major player in commercial aircraft development
by the mid-2030s. He said the duopoly of Airbus and Boeing may be unraveling
at that point.
Washington aerospace clusters will need to rapidly evolve and start to specialize.
There will be a lot of work to do at the supplier level.
OCTOBER | NOVEMBER 2018 ISSUE NO. 5
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