Airbus has signed a multi-year agreement with Iliad-owned Scaleway to provide cloud infrastructure for sensitive industrial and defence applications, supporting the deployment of artificial intelligence tools developed with French startup Mistral.
Under the agreement, Scaleway will host critical applications covering aircraft design, engineering, industrial production and corporate operations. Airbus had previously partnered with Mistral to co-develop customised AI tools for aerospace and defence applications.
Airbus plans to use Mistral’s technology for military applications and certified aviation systems, with European partners handling intellectual property, research and development, and sensitive data.
Airbus Chief Digital Officer Catherine Jestin said that the fact that Mistral models are already deployed on Scaleway infrastructure will allow the company to accelerate its AI approach.
Airbus selected Scaleway following an evaluation covering more than 150 technical and legal requirements. The assessment included technical capabilities, interoperability, scalability and AI capabilities, as well as security, resilience, service continuity and legal and governance safeguards.
The agreement forms part of Airbus’ broader digital sovereignty strategy. The company is seeking greater control over critical data and industrial operations while ensuring protection against non-European extraterritorial legislation.
Airbus plans to migrate around 70 critical applications to Scaleway by the end of 2028. The broader programme could eventually cover up to 900 applications over the following five to six years.
The financial value of the agreement has not been disclosed.
