The opportunities that are coming due to systems and platform harmonisation, cloud computing, and technological convergence are greater than anyone in aviation is predicting.

That was the message from IBM company Nordcloud delivered to delegates at MRO Management’s two day Predictive Aircraft Maintenance conference held in Dublin this month.

Cormac Walsh, Nordcloud global head of aerospace, said firms must be prepared to embrace “fearless cannibalisation” of their cash cows in order to adapt to a fast-changing world.

He gave the example of technology giant Apple releasing the iPad which “decimated” sales of its hugely successful Mac computers.

Cormac said IBM has been modelling a future of increasingly rapid technological change and sees orchestration systems for all modes of transport, including urban air mobility, converging.

“I believe your industry is about to face the biggest change and the biggest opportunity that it has ever seen.

“And I would argue that the commercial scale of the opportunity is bigger than the one that you’re already predicting,” Walsh said.

He added that the current slow rate of progress in urban air mobility is “shocking” and “sad” given the technological platforms are identical to what already exists.

“When I describe these things as being identical, what I’m actually saying is that the problems that they face to make them work are really easy to surmount with some bravery.

“The real story is that there is going to be a focus on the customer, and when the customer needs to go from A to B it is already multi-modal, so get in the game.

“All these different modes need maintenance, and because there will be large quantities of platform harmonisation that is a massive maintenance opportunity that I predict.

“The urban air mobility market is predicted to be worth $40 million by 2035. I’m talking about quad copters, pilotless drones moving people around cities. That’s going to happen.

“There will be complimentary mobility platforms – stuff on the ground and on the water – but orchestrated, yield managed and energy managed by the same systems, which are cloud based using quantum computing and analogue sensors.”

Cormac said the same will be true in the cargo transportation sector, which is already moving to be pilotless on the seas, and in the military, which is increasingly using drones.

Thanks to 3D printing and replication supply chains are going to be conducted via email of these high-volume markets are going to be served properly.

“At some level, they’re going to need the same layer of spare parts, the same type of supply chain and our contention is that ignoring it is unwise,” he added.

“It is this idea of these different technology components which converge into this extraordinarily attractive opportunity.

“We’ve done some modelling, some predictions and testing, and we feel that a well-placed company would be selecting the elements they can rapidly provide the most value for and pursue them.”

Walsh said this technological change will have a direct impact on the sort of human skills and talent that companies will need in the future and require embracing a dev set-up strategy.

This will see technicians become “actively involved in the development of applications, maintaining their security and their operability and day to day use”.

“We predict there’s going to have to be a set of dev set up skills, which is going to be existing together with screwdriver and wrench skills.

“The lines between people replacing components and then also changing a line of code is going to have to be a continuum. This is what you have to get ready for in terms of your staff in the future.”

Walsh concluded: “Iterate on success and failure, embrace failure as much as possible because it’s a fantastic way to learn.

“And, as has been mentioned a few times in the sessions over the past two days, get feedback from your people. Farm that expertise, codify it into systems as quickly as possible.”