OREANDA-NEWS. The results of research studies dedicated to the gas turbine engines produced by the Civil Engines Division (CED) were reviewed on 12 December 2013 during a marketing session held as part of NPO Saturn's Science and technology council (STC).

The delegates from NPO Saturn, Perm motor plant, Aviadvigatel and Rosoboronexport discussed the issues of competitiveness, positioning and the modern trends of the CED business development in the world gas turbine market. The attendees emphasized the need in implementing a correct business diversification, specifying the competence structuring for each product's value map and creating a unique CED product line.

Regular market studies provide an opportunity to see the trends and changes occurring in the industry, choose the more attractive market segments in which a group company or the group as a whole could have a competitive edge.

According to Dmitriy Maslyakov, head of NPO Saturn marketing department, “an average company enters the market with a product while a wise one enters the market with a well though-out product strategy, a part of which is a competitive product line. The CED was established in 2012 through the merger of different companies having similar activity profiles, however at this point we cannot yet consider that the existing product line is optimal. That's why we had set an objective (in addition to conventional market research) to benchmark the product strategies of the industry leaders, come up with the baseline principles of elaborating a robust product strategy fitting the profile of an engine-building company. These baseline principles are quite simple but it is not as simple to follow them 100%. I have no doubt that we'll have enough wisdom to make good use of the knowledge we've accumulated so far. Especially knowing that the CED is now realizing a number of ambitious programs such as the SaM146 and PD-14 engine projects. And the ultimate goal pursued by these programs is to put Russia back on the world market of civil aviation.”

Speaking of the importance of interaction between the market researchers and designers at the initial product development stage, Georgiy Konyukhov, deputy general designer - head of the SaM146 engine design who was conducting the Science and technology council's session noted: “A thorough analysis of markets and potential alternative product strategies is of vital importance to the companies in our division that ensure a full life cycle of their products spanning the design and development, marketing and sales, production and after-market support. The research and development phase serves as the staring point in a complex chain; it is the key element in devising a company's product strategy and in the evolution of the production processes which are to ensure the competitive edge of our products in the future. Therefore as a result of marketing research and analyses a direct link must be established with the product designers, so that the latter, relying on the conclusions drawn together with their marketing colleagues, could clearly understand in which direction to go even when generating new design solutions which could subsequently be used in a finished commercial product.”