Insights

Four Takeaways From Our Trip to the 2022 Farnborough International Air Show

Aug 16, 2022

Our SVP of Revenue, Yonatan Olsha, breaks down all the major conversations that happened at the 2022 Farnborough International Air Show

The DUST Identity team attended the 2022 Farnborough International Airshow where Sustainability and Digital Transformation dominated the discussions. I, along with the rest of the team, were on the tarmac at Farnborough and these are some of the major takeaways:

1.Sustainability is on everyone’s mind.

The need for environmental action was evident and underscored during the show’s first two days, with temperatures over 100°F setting new records for the U.K.

A central theme of the show was sustainability and the airline industry’s commitment to hitting so-called “net zero” carbon neutrality by 2050.

One key point on everyone’s mind? Accountability. Organizations taking steps toward more sustainable products and value chains will require tools to demonstrate those initiatives. How do organizations taking steps toward Net Zero display those efforts in a way that conveys trust? Current projects like Object Passports are ineffective because they lack an anchor that ties the digital records to their physical objects. Organizations that anchor their assets to a secure digital thread will be years ahead of their counterparts when sustainability and environmental audits become a reality. Organizations that take steps to weave a secure digital thread into their sustainability procedures will only bolster the credibility of those procedures in the long term.

2.Digital transformation is underway.

The growing demand for maintaining aircraft availability in today’s market conditions has made access to the right data at the right time mandatory for reducing part turnaround time, improving efficiency, and reducing costs while addressing new environmental responsibilities.

Every prominent leader in Aerospace is seeking a solution to anchor a part’s lifecycle data to the physical part. Crucially, any solution must include the ability to recall and share that data between different systems without the need to replace those systems. Two such leaders, Parker Hannifin & Lockheed Martin, announced such a partnership tracing Parker-produced assets within Lockheed Martin planes. All done using the DUST Identity anchored digital thread solution.

3.Electronics shortages are the new normal.

Electronics and microprocessors (shortages) don’t seem to be getting any worse, but they also don’t seem to be improving. This means, on one hand the suppliers that had the foresight to build up reserves of components in inventory appear to be weathering the storm better than those that did not. On the other hand, all manufacturers now face a new reality - supply chain resiliency is core to the business.

There is a trust gap brought on by a lack of data accessibility, both internal and external. Being able to source parts and materials from new suppliers and vendors is a necessary part of the industry. Part of that process requires due diligence and the ability to demonstrate secure supply chains. Those organizations that can access relevant supplier data, and the ability to make agile decisions based on that data, will be the ultimate winners.

4.Electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) are everywhere.

Is it just a fad? Absolutely not. eVTOL is here to stay and was everywhere at Farnborough. Engine manufacturers think it will be a valuable tool in the future. Innovative aircraft require new supply chains, and those supply chains will face immense scrutiny from a safety and sustainability perspective. Organizations that can access the correct data will dominate the market moving forward.

Bottom Line: Accountability and accessibility cannot be an after-thought. Improvements made to an organization’s supply chain now will afford them valuable time to build trust and strengthen relationships with constituents ahead of the competition.

About Yonatan Olsha:

Yonatan is A Senior Go-To-Market leader and a senior revenue executive with international, multi-industry experience. As SVP Head of Revenue for Dust Identity, Yonatan is responsible for driving business efforts to drive revenue growth and strategic relationships. Yonatan oversees marketing, sales, business development, and customer operations. Prior to Dust Identity, Yonatan was a Director, Global SaaS Software Channel at Zebra Technologies, and before that was a Vice President for Prescriptive Analytics firm Profitect Inc (acquired by Zebra Technologies in May 2019) as well as a senior executive at one of Israel’s largest retail companies. He brings extensive knowledge of commercial and general management and a proven track record in strategic business development, brand-building, creating management structures and processes, and delivering financial results. He also has an MBA from Tel Aviv University and is a certified CPA.