A new 2010 Aerospace & Defense (A&D) market survey released today by CSC found that substantive changes in U.S. defense policies, system priorities and budgets and the effects of the global recession on commercial aerospace are driving new growth strategies within the A&D industrial base. The globally representative survey queried 2,200 senior and mid-level executives at leading global A&D companies to identify the current and near-term issues facing the A&D industry in today's global market and economic dynamics.

The survey also revealed that A&D industry executives have significant concerns regarding market contraction, regulatory complexity and technology, knowledge and talent management. However, these executives are also seeing growth opportunities in non-traditional sectors such as cyber-security, renewable energy and physical and information infrastructures. To pursue growth, both in their core defense and aerospace sectors and in these new markets, survey results showed businesses are focusing on the following approaches:

• Innovation in products and services;
• Preservation of core product and manufacturing capabilities;
• Expansion of foreign military sales;
• Acceleration into adjacent commercial markets;
• Retention of institutional knowledge;
• Creation of new value chain networks to deliver continuous performance improvement.

"We are entering a new era in the Aerospace & Defense industry given the change in U.S. government policy as well as the continued effects of the recession," said Eileen Sweeney, President, Global Manufacturing Industry Sector, CSC. "Future growth for the industry is contingent upon developing new business strategies and models to pursue new markets and using technology to enable this shift."