Key facts
- Airbus has signed a multi-year agreement with Iliad-owned Scaleway for cloud infrastructure.
- The partnership will support AI tools developed with French startup Mistral.
- Scaleway will host critical applications for aircraft design, engineering, industrial production, and corporate operations.
- Airbus aims to use Mistral's technology for military and certified aviation systems.
- The deal supports European digital sovereignty by keeping sensitive data and IP within Europe.
- Around 70 critical applications will be migrated to Scaleway by the end of 2028.
Airbus has entered into a multi-year agreement with Scaleway, a cloud infrastructure provider owned by Iliad, to host critical applications for its industrial and defence operations. This partnership is designed to support the deployment of artificial intelligence tools, particularly those co-developed with French AI startup Mistral.
The agreement aims to bolster Airbus's digital sovereignty by ensuring that sensitive data, intellectual property, and research and development for aerospace and defence applications are handled by European partners. Scaleway will provide the cloud infrastructure for a range of applications, including aircraft design, engineering, industrial production, and corporate functions.
Airbus Chief Digital Officer Catherine Jestin highlighted that the use of Mistral models already deployed on Scaleway's infrastructure will accelerate the company's AI strategy. The company intends to leverage this technology for military applications and certified aviation systems, areas where European control over sensitive data is paramount.
Jestin stated that Scaleway was chosen after meeting over 150 technical and legal criteria, with particular emphasis on protection against "kill switch" scenarios and the application of extraterritorial laws. This focus on digital sovereignty aligns with broader European efforts, such as the European Commission's proposed Cloud and AI Development Act, to expand domestic cloud and computing capacity.
Under the agreement, Airbus plans to migrate approximately 70 critical applications to Scaleway by the end of 2028, with the potential to extend the programme to cover up to 900 applications over the subsequent five to six years. The financial terms of the agreement were not disclosed.