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Boulogne-Billancourt and Munich, December 3, 2015 - Aerospace Embedded Solutions (AES) has won the 3rd Franco-German Economic Prize in the Industrial Cooperation category. This award recognizes the most striking joint economic ventures between French and German companies.

Created in January 2013 and based in Munich, Aerospace Embedded Solutions is a 50/50 joint venture between Sagem (Safran) of France and MTU Aero Engines AG of Germany. The company's business covers the design, development, support and certification of safety-critical hardware and software for civil and military aircraft.

"We are very proud to have won this prize, which recognizes the hard work of our teams," said Christophe Bruneau, Chief Executive Officer of AES, during the award ceremony on December 2 in Paris. "In three years we have met our goal of consolidating Europe's centers of excellence in critical aerospace and defense technologies. The innovative and competitive products offered by this French-German partnership, founded by the two top-tier companies Sagem and MTU, enable us to better address the needs of new European programs."

Drawing on its dual Franco-German expertise and the skills of its hundred-strong workforce, AES has succeeded in being chosen for major international projects in just two years.
For example, this joint venture has already contributed to systems for the Airbus A400M (engine control and GPS systems) and A350 (braking system), Embraer KC-390 (braking system and electrical power distribution system) and the Comac C919 (thrust reverser control unit). Furthermore, AES is one of the founding members of ESSEI (Embedded Systems Software Engineering Institute), the leading German organization for onboard software.

Created in 2011, the Franco-German Economic Prize is awarded every two years by the Franco-German Chamber of Commerce, under the auspices of the two countries' ministries of economics.

Sagem, a Safran high-tech company, holds world leadership positions in optronics, avionics, electronics and critical software for both civil and military markets. Sagem is the N° 1 company in Europe and N° 3 worldwide for inertial navigation systems (INS) used in air, land and naval applications. It is also the world leader in helicopter flight controls and the European leader in optronics and tactical UAV systems. Operating across the globe through the Safran international network, Sagem and its subsidiaries employ 7,600 people in Europe, Asia-Pacific, North America and South America.

MTU Aero Engines AG is Germany's leading engine manufacturer. The company is a technological leader in low-pressure turbines, high-pressure compressors, turbine center frames as well as manufacturing processes  and repair techniques. In the commercial OEM business, the company plays a key role with the development, manufacturing and marketing of high-tech components together with international partners. Approximately 30% of active commercial aircraft engines are equipped with MTU technologies. In the commercial maintenance sector the company ranks among the top 5 service providers for commercial aircraft engines and industrial gas turbines. The activities are combined under the roof of MTU Maintenance. In the military arena, MTU Aero Engines is Germany's industrial lead company for practically all engines operated by the country's military. MTU operates a network of locations around the globe; Munich is home to its corporate headquarters. In fiscal 2014, the company had a workforce of some 9,000 employees and posted consolidated sales of approximately 3.9 billion euros.

AES Aerospace Embedded Solutions GmbH (AES) is a 50/50 Joint Venture between MTU Aero Engines and Sagem (Safran). Created in January 2013, Aerospace Embedded Solutions (AES) designs, develops, supports and certifies safety-critical hardware and software for civil and military aircraft. Calling on the skills of 100 top-flight employees, AES provides a wide range of expertise to its French and German parent companies, and helps them expand their business in North America. Through its competitive and innovative product line, this French-German partnership addresses the evolving needs of new European programs, making AES a leader in its core markets. The company's motto expresses its approach: "the best, the first time".