Knowledge Management in International Aerospace Collaboration Projects: The Case of Saudi Arabia

An aspiration of many developing countries, such as the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia (KSA), is to create their own national aerospace sector. This is considered to be a strategically vital asset for the national economy and security as well as a means to create new job opportunities for Saudi nationals in a high value-added industrial sector. The Saudi government spends billions of US dollars on aerospace-related projects and although this has increased the capacity of the aerospace industry, the ability to build a local industrial technological capability is questionable when compared to the achievements of other nations operating with fewer resources. This stems from a failure in transferring the required aerospace knowledge in terms of skills, technology and infrastructure during international collaborative projects. A wide range of diverse tools and methods are needed for knowledge management in large and complex projects. This study investigates the knowledge required to enable implementation of aerospace projects in the KSA, and the tools and methods needed to be employed in order to facilitate successful international aerospace collaboration projects. Nine international aerospace collaboration projects were investigated; the nature of the projects was related to the design, manufacturing and assembly of aircraft, aero-engines and ground support equipment. The results illustrate the required knowledge, and some general methods are proposed in order to participate in aerospace projects.