THE CONCEPT VISIONS PROCESS - MBDA

AIRTHE CONCEPT VISIONS PROCESSDEFINING A WEAPON SYSTEM CONCEPTFOR 2030 AND BEYONDWhat is Concept Visions?Concept Visions is an annual initiative to unlock the latent creativity in MBDA. Startingwith our colleagues’ input from across the company, applying an intense experience ledprocess of consultation, conceptualisation, experimentation, prototyping and design,we seek to redefine what an MBDA weapon system could be in 20 years time.We aim to build MBDA’s version of a concept car – a credible vision of the future thatinspires people to see military capability in a fresh, innovative way.Concept Visions:• Harnesses the imagination and innovation of our European workforce through thecreation of concepts for future MBDA weapon systems• Evolves our understanding of what the user truly needs through experience• Enables capability leaps by exploiting new and emerging technologies from MBDA’sextensive internal and collaborative research and development base• Experiments with techniques to define the next evolution in MBDA’s approach to rapiddevelopment

AimsAIRThe Concept Visions ProcessThe MBDA workforce across the company are asked to project themselves forward20 years in time and imagine the ways in which MBDA technologies and conceptscould contribute to military capability. A wide range of ideas are collected,combined and assessed by the Concept Visions team. The best ideas are then downselected based on their relevance, novelty and potential operational benefit.These ideas are then brought to life using rapid development techniques to create aconcept to exhibit at either Farnborough International Air Show or The InternationalParis Air Show, Le Bourget.• Empower our workforce• Showcase a selection of radical concepts• Highlight the capability in our research and technology base• Explore 20 years of technology advances for application tofuture weapon systems• Challenge preconceptions• Inspire and stimulate our employees, customers, partnersand suppliers• Shape market expectations and challenge our ownassumptions about the future possibilitiesUser Driven and Experience LedThe Concept Visions process focuses on direct contact with the future users ofthe system, to understand the equipment aspiration for 20 years time.A range of experience led techniques are applied, including:• Engaging with militaries across Europe to investigate current capability gaps• Building novel and innovative models to allow for functionality and operatorinteractions to be explored• Working with external designers to introduce new perspectivesThe practical emphasis of this approach to concept development allows us to anticipatethe needs of our customers and to shape their expectations for the future.© MBDA - FR 2011-06-v.002 - Photo Credits: Quadrimage - Isabelle ChapuisPublic Showcase of Concept Visions• Reward and motivate our many contributors byturning their dreams into a reality• Demonstrate MBDA’s ability to innovate rapidlyand radically• Provide a powerful, highly interactive means ofcommunicating a future vision to our stakeholdersMBDA ContactsSales and Business DevelopmentSix Hills WayStevenageHerts SG1 2DATel: +44 1438 312422salesenquiries@mbda-systems.comwww.mbda-systems.com