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Safran Data Systems, the Group's "space gem"

Business

Discover Safran Data Systems, the Group company specializing in telemetry and particularly in space surveillance and communication, which is currently experiencing high growth and generating fresh challenges for the group. Sandrine Audry, Human Resources Director at Safran Data Systems, is here to answer our questions!

Safran Data Systems is growing strongly despite the current economic environment. How do explain such growth?

We are extremely lucky to be doing business in resilient markets, supported by military programs and the space industry. Our status as a world leader in these niche markets ensures that we enjoy extensive recognition from our customers, with whom we have forged close relationships. The race to conquer and monitor space has been spurred on by the health crisis. We've played our cards well and there is today no shortage of enquiries. It certainly helps that we're recognized as experts by our clients. Additionally, we are reinvesting 15% of our sales in R&D to ensure that we will always be at the cutting-edge of innovation, helping us to stand out from the competition in these markets, which are often characterized by significant technological barriers. We are both similar to other Group companies with which we share the same "DNA" and yet very different from them, due to our size, the nature and variety of our clients, our markets and our products. We are a passionate and enthusiastic company run by highly skilled teams committed to collective success and performance.

What is the impact on human resources?

We are a company which is neither too large nor too small, employing around 700 people, which means that we can stay close to our clients and suppliers but also provide our teams with a high degree of autonomy and a wide variety of skills and opportunities. Safran Data Systems' growth has gone hand-in-hand with a high level of recruitment. As an example, we recruited more than 90 people in 2019 and 2020! Recruitment and improving the skills of our workforce are the key challenges we need to rise to collectively. We must support all of our teams and help them achieve maximum self-fulfillment.

In 2020, more than 50 Group employees joined us and we hope the same will happen in 2021. We're very lucky to have them. They will contribute their knowledge of the Group and enable us to benefit from their skills and experience. Since the start of the year, I can mention more than 20 examples of internal mobility and there are still many positions waiting to be filled. For those joining us, this is a great opportunity to discover new products, new markets, and to experience an exciting new adventure within the Group. Mobility benefits us all!

 

What's the outlook for 2021?

We need to consolidate our partner network and develop the digital toolkit we introduced during the health crisis, to help the sales team stay in touch with our clients and to meet our growth objectives. We hope to gain markets related to new satellite constellations, stations for scientific missions, space surveillance but also instrumentation and telemetry, as well as working on new cybersecurity projects. We will continue adapting and increasing the use of digital technology to enable us to boost our teams' skills and to favor the induction of new co-workers. Our recruitment plans are ambitious once again for 2021, as we have more than 100 positions to be filled in activities such as project management, program management, R&D, the design and engineering office, production engineering but also in support roles. The year 2021 looks likely to bring plenty of challenges!

 

A guide to Safran Data Systems' activities

Flight test instrumentation and telemetry: On-board systems for aircraft (planes, helicopters, drones, flying taxis, launchers) which record and/or transmit acquired data (vibrations, environment, avionic buses) in real time or on a deferred basis. Land-based stations comprised of antennae, receivers and recorders for the reception and processing of this data.

Space communication: a complete range of land-based satellite tracking stations and equipment for satellite manufacturers, integrators, space agencies and commercial operators (communication satellites and earth observation satellites)

Space surveillance: equipment, solutions and services offering the ability to have precise knowledge of satellites around the earth and to carry out the real-time monitoring of their actual position in fully passive mode thanks to an international network of RF sensors

Safran Data Systems - key data

​◾World no.1 for telemetry solutions for flight testing.

◾World no.1 for space surveillance using RF sensors.

◾World no.1 for satellite support modems and sensors.

◾World no.1 for high-speed Earth observation reception systems.

◾+250 antennae, from the Arctic Circle to southern Chile.

◾+350 connected satellites.