Paris, June 17, 2025 (Lusa) - European aircraft manufacturer Airbus announced on Tuesday that it has signed a letter of intent with Portuguese company Critical Software for a potential new structure focused on the development of embedded software for aerospace applications.

“Critical Software has had a relationship with us for a number of years as a software development supplier, and we are now strengthening this with a partnership that we are exploring to really strengthen the links and enable us to form a much more robust partnership,” Sabine Klauke, Airbus’s chief technology officer, told Lusa, adding that this is still a partnership for civil and commercial aircraft, without revealing details of the agreement.

The initiative aims to combine the companies’ respective capabilities in the design and supply of certified and safety-critical software in various fields, including avionics, cabin applications and connectivity systems for current and future aircraft, encompassing the growing complexity and digitalisation of aerospace systems.

“Embedded software has always been important for navigation, aircraft and also cabin applications. And if we look at the next generation of aircraft we are preparing, software becomes even more important. That is why we are working together with Critical Software,” said Klauke.

According to the technology director, the partnership aims to strengthen the software aspect and “prepare the next generation of aircraft”, which should be thought out “perhaps by the end of the decade”, in which they are also looking for “new forms of more aerodynamic aircraft”.

Headquartered in Coimbra and founded in 1998, Critical Software is an international technology company that develops software and provides engineering services for critical and reliable systems, with more than 1,400 employees in Portugal, the United Kingdom, Germany and the USA.

“We are proud to announce a new chapter in our collaboration with Airbus, which reflects our shared ambition to shape the future of aerospace software (…) we intend to drive innovation where safety and reliability are fundamental,” said João Carreira, CEO of Critical Software, in a statement.

This partnership, which combines Airbus’ aerospace expertise with Critical Software’s extensive experience in embedded and safety-critical software engineering, will help “at the heart of the aircraft”, particularly in systems related to flight control, cockpit and cabin applications, such as air conditioning and electricity.

In Portugal, Airbus has found “young talent who want to change something, taking responsibility for these new developments,” said Sabine Klauke, noting that, as a woman, it is an “honour to be on the stage of technological transformation.”

“Safety is at the heart of everything we do. If we are looking at a more software-based aircraft, then the whole safety aspect is at the centre of it,” she said, expressing her desire to operate more automatically and optimise flights with more sustainable trajectories.

Artificial intelligence also plays an important role in this partnership, being present in all areas and in specific services around flight platforms, enabling efficiency gains for the company’s daily operations.

When asked about the biggest challenges in leading the technological transformation of a company the size of Airbus, Klauke said that it is due to the “CO2 emissions” in the operation of its products, which correspond to 97%, so they are “constantly looking for new engine technologies”.

Airbus has maintained a solid presence in Portugal for over 50 years with centres in Lisbon and Coimbra (Airbus GBS), but also in Santo Tirso (Airbus Atlantic industrial unit), cooperating with local partners, suppliers and customers from the assembly of commercial aircraft to helicopter electrical panels, to the manufacture and assembly of composites.

Airbus’s supply from Portugal currently amounts to more than €65 million per year, and the company’s programmes generate around 2,000 jobs in the country and more than 4,000 with its supply chain partners.

MYCO/AYLS // AYLS

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