Page 42 - European Energy Innovation - winter 2019 publication
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42 Winter 2019 European Energy Innovation
COMMUNICATION
How Clean Sky can support the
move to climate-neutral aviation
By Axel Krein (pictured), Executive Director, Clean Sky Joint Undertaking
A key priority on the European 2050, and taking European aviation need to be actively aligned via
Parliament’s and new European and aeronautics to the forefront an Innovation Architecture and
Commission’s determined agenda globally in this transition. connected to the future Partnership,
to tackle climate change will be ranging from Member States’ national
securing impact-driven European A major step in that direction innovation funding initiatives in
research and innovation. Building took place at the Paris Air Show aeronautical fields to synergy areas
on the Horizon 2020 programme, - Le Bourget in June 2019. Led within Horizon Europe, all supported
Horizon Europe will provide an even by Airbus CEO Guillaume Faury, by commonly agreed goals and
greater opportunity to steer further Safran CEO Philippe Petitcolin, objectives within an integrated and
excellence into European research, Rolls-Royce CEO Warren East and comprehensive roadmap.
making sure that outcomes are Leonardo CEO Alessandro Profumo,
impactful and meeting far-reaching twenty-three Aeronautics Industry We are not talking about a mere
objectives such as mitigating damage leaders, Research Organisations continuation from Clean Sky 2 to a
to the environment. and University Associations across future Clean Aviation Partnership.
Europe signed a Joint Declaration to This is a vital and necessary
In that respect, European universities, express their strong commitment transformation to successfully take
research organisations and industrial to a future European partnership on the challenge ahead.
companies are continuing to work on that can lead the way towards a
a technical proposal for a new Clean deep decarbonisation of aviation by In parallel, Clean Sky 2 is still running
Aviation Partnership programme. This 2050. The Joint Declaration made with full steam ahead! Now halfway
programme will aim to drive towards it clear that the partnership should through the programme, it is very
a deep decarbonisation of aviation, build on the progress made under gratifying to see that our vast eco-
supporting the European Green Deal, the Clean Sky programmes, and system of researchers and engineers
leading to a carbon-free society by develop further-reaching innovations is delivering cutting-edge results for
and concrete roadmaps for their
implementation in a new breed DRAGON research concept for
of aircraft from 2030 and beyond. distributed electric propulsion
To highlight that these ambitious (©ONERA)
aims can only be achieved through
cooperation between the public and
private sectors, the Declaration was
handed over to Jean-Eric Paquet,
Director-General for Research and
Innovation, European Commission.
Initial analysis has identified a
number of ambitious zero- and low-
emission concepts. These include full
electric and hybrid-electric solutions
applicable to regional and short-
range categories. Hydrogen or low-
carbon fuel-powered architectures
using advanced aircraft configurations
and ultra-efficient gas turbines
will cover the medium and long-
range segments. As a consequence,
substantial research activity will
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