Airbus and Safran are taking a bigger stake in one of Europe’s key aerospace materials suppliers, highlighting the growing importance of securing critical materials and strengthening the supply chain behind aircraft production.
In June 2026, the two aerospace groups agreed to acquire Tikehau Capital’s stake in French manufacturer Aubert & Duval, with Airbus and Safran set to share the stake equally.
Aubert & Duval employs around 4,400 people across ten industrial sites and generates approximately €960 million in annual revenue. The company specialises in high-performance steels, superalloys, titanium and aluminium, as well as forged components used in aerospace, defence, energy and medical applications.
Its materials play an important role in aircraft and engine manufacturing, where components must withstand extreme temperatures, pressure and mechanical stress.
Why the Investment Matters?
The move comes as Airbus and Safran work to increase production and meet demand for commercial aircraft and engines. Securing reliable access to the materials needed to manufacture these products is becoming an increasingly important part of that process.
Specialist aerospace materials can be difficult to source elsewhere. Suppliers must meet strict technical and quality requirements, and qualifying an alternative can take considerable time.
By strengthening their ownership of Aubert & Duval, Airbus and Safran gain a closer relationship with a strategically important supplier, helping reinforce their position within the manufacturing chain.
The decision also reflects a wider trend across European industry. Following years of supply-chain disruption, material shortages and geopolitical uncertainty, major manufacturers are placing greater emphasis on securing critical resources and strengthening industrial capacity closer to home.
Rather than focusing solely on the final stages of aircraft assembly, companies are increasingly looking further upstream at the materials, components and specialist processes on which production depends.
What does this mean for the wider aerospace industry?
The implications extend beyond Airbus, Safran and Aubert & Duval.
As aerospace manufacturers expand production, their suppliers face growing expectations around quality, traceability, reliability and delivery. Businesses must be able to demonstrate that they can meet demanding specifications and support complex manufacturing programmes consistently.
For specialist manufacturers, this presents both challenges and opportunities. Companies with the right technical capabilities and quality standards may be well positioned to support an industry that increasingly values dependable, long-term supply-chain relationships.
Collaboration will also remain important. Aerospace programmes rely on a broad range of expertise, from raw materials and precision machining to fabrication, tooling and finishing. Connecting these capabilities effectively can help manufacturers respond to customer requirements and build stronger commercial relationships.
The opportunity for Irish industry
For Ireland, developments like this highlight the importance of maintaining a strong, connected manufacturing base.
Irish businesses with relevant engineering and advanced manufacturing capabilities could benefit from opportunities across the wider aerospace supply chain, provided they can meet the technical, quality and qualification requirements of individual customers.
Manufacturing networks such as Emerald Aero Group can help connect complementary expertise across Irish businesses, making it easier to identify capabilities and explore potential opportunities with customers and supply-chain partners.
There is no guarantee that investment by major aerospace groups will translate directly into new contracts for Irish suppliers. However, understanding how the industry is evolving can help manufacturers identify where demand may emerge and what they need to do to compete.
The Aubert & Duval deal is ultimately about more than ownership. It reflects a wider shift in aerospace manufacturing, where securing critical materials, building resilient supply chains and maintaining access to specialist expertise are becoming central to long-term growth.
For Irish industry, the opportunity lies in understanding these changes and ensuring local manufacturers are well positioned to play their part.
