Mubadala to launch aerospace parts maker next week

ABU DHABI, Nov 9 (Reuters) - Mubadala, the Abu Dhabi government-owned investment firm, will officially launch an aerospace components maker next week, an official said on Monday.

Mubadala announced in June it planned a plant to produce advanced composite "aerostructures", but did not give a cost estimate, saying the facility, called Strata, would be operational in the fourth quarter of 2010.

"You will hear next week our first company that comes out of this industry," Waleed Al Muhairi, chief operating officer of Mubadala told an energy conference on Monday.

"We will be producing components of advanced materials, pieces for (Airbus) A380s, 340s and 330s. This is the cutting edge of material science as far as we are concerned."

The plant will manufacture components such as flap track fairings, ailerons, spoilers and assemblies for Airbus aircraft and the empennage for ATR Regional Aircraft -- a joint venture between Airbus parent EADS (EAD.PA) and Italian air and defence company Finmeccanica (SIFI.MI), Mubadala said in June.

The project will eventually be extended to include engineering, design and research and development.

It said initial contracts with partners total more than $2 billion. (Reporting by Stanley Carvalho; Editing by Dan Lalor)