THE CORPORATE UNIVERSITY ROLE IN THE 787 DREAMLINER

Summary of a presentation delivered by Jon Schneider, Director, Engineering with Boeing, Michael Ritchey, Associate Technical Fellow with Boeing, and Professor Kuen Lin, University of Washington in February of 2007.

When Boeing began designing their new 787 Dreamliner airplane, they made the decision to build it from newer plastic composites. The challenge Boeing faced was how to transition material and mechanical engineer’s competencies from metals to composites. They needed a program that would go from theoretical to real world applications by focusing on the application of learning, and they needed it in a hurry.

In order to reach their goal, leaders at Boeing formed an exploratory team to evaluate the viability of training capabilities at the University of Washington, and internal to Boeing. The team focused on educational goals, identifying stakeholders, the feasibility of alternatives, key constraints and other factors. The resulting program has had the following outcome:

• 76 total graduates
• 415+ employees developing skills in designing with composite materials
• UW experience with Boeing has increased the competitiveness of their academic programs
• Most importantly, the 787 Dreamliner is on track to fly in August

Jon Schneider and Michael Richey of Boeing took advantage of a 100 year-old relationship between Boeing and the University of Washington and teamed up with Professor Kuen Lin to develop the program. Their partnership model is built around defined business needs, and is linked to the delivery of critical competencies.

Boeing worked with the University of Washington and created three certificate programs in: Modern Aircraft Structures; Aircraft Composite Structural Analysis; and Design and Aircraft Composite Manufacturing, Tooling and Repair:

Tailored course content included 110 hours of instruction, plus 220 hours of homework and exams. The programs are designed to move from fundamental knowledge to practical application, and have been successful in enabling employees to contribute to the design of the new airplane.

Filled with academic rigor to fulfill the higher education mission, the model can be leveraged across the industry. The Federal Aviation Administration, recognizing the importance of the project, helped the University of Washington create a Center of Excellence in Advanced Materials.

CorpU Members can learn the whole story about Boeing’s success by accessing the archived webinar here.