Clean Sky will enable the Air Transport System, a key sector of the European economy and a major contributor to the building of Europe, to address its environmental responsibilities. (AC, 13/10/06)

 

Major European aeronautics companies commit to «CLEAN SKY»

13.10.2006 - Today in Vienna nine leading European aeronautics companies - AgustaWestland, Airbus, Alenia Aeronautica, Dassault Aviation, Eurocopter, Liebherr-Aerospace, Rolls-Royce, SAFRAN, and Thales - signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to establish the Aeronautics Joint Technology Initiative «Clean Sky»⁽¹⁾. Clean Sky will boost the European aeronautics research that will provide greener products and systems.

In response to increasing public concern on the impact of aviation on the environment, Clean Sky will facilitate the early introduction of innovative products that will contribute to European sustainable growth in response to ACARE⁽²⁾ goals. The Clean Sky JTI is a large technological research programme that will radically improve the impact of air transport on the environment through technologies and solutions enabling step changes in the reduction of noise, emissions, and fuel consumption for future aircraft.

Clean Sky will be the largest European aeronautics research project ever. Its total budget is estimated at € 1.7 billion and, if the European Parliament and Council of Ministers agree the proposal, will include financing from the 7th Research Framework Programme. Bringing together major European aeronautics research stakeholders on this unprecedented scale will deliver integrated technology demonstrators that pave the way for greener aircraft.

«Today's declaration by nine major players in the aerospace industry illustrates industry's willingness to mitigate any environmental impact aerospace might have», said European Science and Research Commission Janez Potoènik, who was present at the annual gathering of the Aerospace and Defence Industries Association of Europe. He went on to emphasise the importance of co-operation within the sector to go further, including in the context of a public-private partnership designed to stimulate research in this field. «By working together, we can identify and overcome obstacles to the implementation of this technology in all its very many applications», said the Commissioner. «We can tackle technology bottlenecks, raise public awareness and appreciation, address issues such as safety, and develop standards that ensure technology developed in Europe is used not just here but around the world».

Clean Sky will provide significant opportunities for all industries throughout Europe with specific actions for SME and a focus for the new Member States. It will need the active participation of universities and research centres.

Clean Sky will enable the Air Transport System, a key sector of the European economy and a major contributor to the building of Europe, to address its environmental responsibilities.

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⁽¹⁾ Joint Technology Initiatives are an innovation of the new Research Framework Programme, which the Community can set up under the provision of Treaty article 171. They will be large-scale public-private partnerships designed to promote research in a field of particular importance for Europe's industrial competitiveness.

⁽²⁾ ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautical Research in Europe) has set goals to be met by 2020: halving CO₂ emissions through drastic reduction of fuel consumption, an 80 per cent reduction of NOx emissions and a 50 per cent reduction of external noise. It also aims for green product life cycle design including manufacturing, maintenance, and disposal.