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By Axel Krein | Clean Aviation
02-09-2022 (updated: 02-09-2022 )
Next Gen CTR_Wing INVAR main tool thermal test [Leonardo Helicopters]
Our vision is a world where everyone can fly without worrying about their emission footprint. Our aim is to continue developing disruptive technologies to drastically decrease CO2, NOx and noise emissions. Yet we can only achieve this through extensive collaboration. This is why we endeavour to bring together trailblazers from across academia, industry, research centres, SMEs and like-minded sectors from automobile to A.I., to accelerate sustainable innovation.
Axel Krein is the Executive Director of Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking.
I am delighted to announce that the Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking will receive the ICAS Von Kármán Award for International Cooperation in Aeronautics. Let me express my heartfelt congratulations to everyone who has helped to make this programme a success!
Developing cutting-edge technologies that push the limits of aviation innovation towards more sustainable flight is a tall order and requires the cooperation of a wide range of actors. That’s been the ethos at Clean Sky – and now Clean Aviation – ever since the first programme was launched in 2007.
Harnessing technology from the automobile sector and A.I.
We don’t limit ourselves to collaborating with aerospace specialists. We believe in learning from the strides made by other sectors. That’s why several of our projects have adapted technological solutions from other areas – like the automobile industry – for use in aviation. We also collaborate with innovators in the hydrogen space as well as artificial intelligence, Industry 4.0 and other emerging technologies that can be applied to aviation.
Strong network of SMEs, Industry, Universities and Research Centres
Our Clean Sky 2 projects have created not only innovative technologies, but a strong network, with more than 360 SMEs, more than 310 industry partners, more than 150 universities and more than 110 research centres in total involved in our work. This amounts to more than 5000 scientists and engineers in total!
Although the Joint Undertaking is supported by the European Union, our activities are not confined to EU members only. Our projects to date have included partners from the US, Canada, Ukraine, Turkey, Israel and more. All are welcome to take part in our projects and apply for our Calls.
We’ve also strengthened connections with the national and regional governments of the EU Member States. By working together, we can find similar programmes and create synergies between local projects and Clean Sky or Clean Aviation projects to maximise resources and efficiency. To date, we have signed 18 Memoranda of Understanding (MoU) at national and regional levels, representing 33 EU regions out of the 155 regions that participated in Clean Sky 2 Calls.
Standing on the shoulders of the previous Programme
The new Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking aims to nurture the relationships forged as part of the Clean Sky and Clean Sky 2 programmes and to build ever-stronger networks between the key innovators in sustainable aviation. There is no one silver bullet solution, nor one single sector or company capable of succeeding alone. Cooperation is the secret to our success, and we are honoured that we will shortly receive this award from the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences which recognises the importance of our mission and the strides that we have made thanks to international collaboration.
The Clean Sky 2 Joint Undertaking – the European Commission’s public-private partnership for developing sustainable aviation technologies from 2014-2024 is the predecessor of the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking, on a mission to radically revolutionise the aviation sector through the development of sustainable aviation technology.
With a budget of almost EUR 4 billion, Clean Sky 2 is exploring innovations in engines, airframes, large passenger aircraft, small air transport, regional aircraft, systems, fast rotorcraft and eco-design, aiming to decrease CO2, NOx and noise emissions by 20-30% compared to 2014 state-of-the-art aircraft.
We are now in the delivery phase of Clean Sky 2 – our technologies are coming to fruition. Over the next two years, we’ll be rolling out demonstrators – like the Flight Test Bed #2, which took off in January 2022. This revolutionary regional aircraft reduces CO2 and NOX emissions by 43% and 70% respectively, as well as reducing noise during take-off by 45%. In total, Clean Sky 2 will deliver more than 34 flagship demonstrators, more than 106 other demonstrators contributing to the flagship demonstrators, and more than 1000 technologies by the end of the programme.
The Von Kármán Award will be presented to us during the 33rd congress of the International Council of Aeronautical Sciences in Stockholm, Sweden, early this September.