Saab and Boeing 787 – 20 years of successful collaboration
Year 2025 marks 20 years since Saab signed a contract with Boeing Commercial Airplanes to become a key partner in the design of the Boeing 787.
Little did we know that 20 years later we would still be manufacturing doors and hatches for the aircraft and will continue to do so for many years to come. The anniversary will be celebrated later this year and this article series takes you through the first part of the journey, telling the story of how we became a world-class supplier to Boeing.
In 2005, Saab signed a contract with Boeing for the development, industrialization and manufacturing of cargo doors and access hatches for Boeing's new aircraft 7E7, later named 787 Dreamliner. Boeing took major technological leaps with the launch of the 787. An aircraft built with carbon fiber composite. It was to be lighter, more fuel-efficient and much cheaper to operate. In addition, a significant change in strategy – almost everything would be outsourced to external suppliers and partners. What would remain with Boeing was the final steps of production where the fuselage, wings, control surfaces and engines, as well as the interior, would be assembled in final assembly.
Saab had a team of engineers and project managers on site in Everett for the initial stages of the development phase, as well as a team in Linköping, Sweden. The development pace was high, the days were long but very interesting. Several new technological advancements were made, which were new for Saab and Boeing at the time. The development environments were also new, but at the same time offered many new opportunities - the entire 787 design was drawn digitally, using Model Based Design (MBD).​
Saab also shaped its supply chain strategy and it was decided that complex composite parts would be manufactured in Linköping for the best possible synergies with other programs. Systems, machined parts, sheet metal and simpler assemblies would be purchased. A make-buy strategy that continues to this day.