Dubai, UAE - 19 May 2010: The joint venture between EADS and the French Welding Institute, based at the prestigious Qatar Science and Technology Park (QSTP) in Doha, has successfully brought its materials testing laboratory into line with the latest international standards.

The goal of obtaining laboratory accreditation in compliance with the ISO/IEC 17025:2005 international testing standard has now been achieved. This standard is essential to meet internal quality standards and consists of two parts:

The first covers the administrative quality management system (QMS), which is based on ISO 9001:2008 requirements (including documentation control, review of requirements, tenders and contracts, customer services, remedial and preventive measures and management reviews.)

The second part contains requirements concerning the technical organisation of the laboratory (including personnel, installation and ambient conditions, testing and calibration methods, traceability, sampling and reports.)

This accreditation was carried out by the Governmental Dubai Accreditation Centre (DAC). This well-recognised organisation, which is a full member, MRA signatory of the International Laboratory Accreditation Cooperation (ILAC), offers a guarantee of quality for future testing.

The materials testing laboratory can provide essential services to various local and regional industries, such as materials characterisation, materials qualification, welding procedures qualification, welder qualification, on all types of materials, plus specialist contacts in the field of welding.

To ensure the success of this project, the cooperative approach adopted by EADS and the French Welding Institute was crucial.

To meet the wide-ranging needs of its customers, the laboratory works in close collaboration with the other accredited laboratories of the French Welding Institute, notably in the fields of chemistry and corrosion.

The success of this project will in the very near future enable this centre of excellence to become a known and recognised player in the Middle East and one of two accredited laboratories in Qatar.

"I am particularly proud of the certification we received today. We have put a lot of resources into our materials testing laboratory as we consider the Middle East region to be very strategic for the activities of our Institute," said Alain Houdard, Chairman and CEO of the French Welding Institute.

'This accreditation is definitely a guarantee of quality that is well illustrated by the commitment and the expertise of the team involved. In that respect, I wish to underline the great achievement of Benoit Mouquet, our laboratory Technical Manager. Thanks to his professional competencies as well as his personal commitment, we have made this happen successfully," stated Anthony Protin, IS Industrie - QSTP -B General Manager.

"'Such recognized accreditation allows an international strategic reference and shows the expertise of the EADS/Welding Institute staff as well of the quality of the services delivered by the laboratory,''said Bertrand Deyzac, Chairman of EADS Qatar. ''The establishment of such a laboratory with first class methodologies and technologies as well as the most experienced experts in their fields of expertise is another milestone in the long lasting and trustful cooperation existing between EADS and the State of Qatar," added Deyzac.

-Ends-

About EADS
EADS is a global leader in aerospace, defence and related services. In 2009, the Group - comprising Airbus, Eurocopter, EADS Astrium and EADS Defence & Security - generated revenues of € 42.8 billion and employed a workforce of more than 119,000.

About the French Welding Institute ''Institut de Soudure"
Since its inception a century ago, the French Welding Institute brings to the industrialists its expertise in numerous key domains: materials and their behavior in service, technologies of assembly, non-destructive controls, regulations of pressure equipment, training and certification of staff. Today, the Welding Institute puts its know-how in assuring the conformity and the best quality level of the new constructions, increasing the productivity and the competitiveness in welded manufacturing as well as increasing the safety and the life cycle of the installations and reduce the costs of maintenance. www.isgroupe.com

About QSTP
QSTP is a home for technology-based companies from around the world, and an incubator of start-up enterprises. It provides premises, services and support programs that help organisations to develop and commercialise their technology. With it at Qatar Foundation are campuses of Carnegie Mellon, Texas A&M, Weill Cornell and other leading universities. Among QSTP's first proud members are EADS, ExxonMobil, GE, Microsoft, Shell and Total. By bringing research and business together, QSTP is spurring the development of Qatar's knowledge economy. www.qstp.com.org.qa

Contacts:
French Welding Institute
Anthony Protin:  + 974 491 26 76 

EADS
Rod Stone: + 33 1 42 24 27 75

QSTP 
Ahmed Adel: +974 571 54 40      

Further information on EADS - photo, video, sound bites, background documents - is available at www.medianewsnet.com.

© Press Release 2010