EU launches €1.6bn green aircraft initiative

A €1.6bn public private partnership that aims to put Europe at the cutting edge of environmentally friendly aircraft design was launched on Tuesday.

Research commissioner Janez Potocnik said that the Clean Sky joint technology initiative (JTI) was about developing “cleaner, more competitive technologies”.

“The challenges that stand before us today, such as boosting international competitiveness and tackling climate change, are common to all European countries, and research is a major part of the answer,” he said.

“We stand a better chance to making a difference if we work together. This is the basic logic behind the Clean Sky JTI and I am delighted that it is now underway and ready to start its work.”

The JTI, a partnership of the European commission, private business, national governments and the research community, aims to reduce the environmental impact of air transport by lowering noise and gaseous emissions and improving the fuel economy of aircraft.

The concept behind the launch is that by combining resources and know-how, Europe will be at the cutting edge of developing new technologies capable of achieving these aims.

“For me, the difference is that Clean Sky unites the public and private interest,” Potocnik told journalists. “We have large areas of common purpose.”

“We have a diverse group of contributors – a selection of leading companies, SMEs, and research institutions – and we are all agreed on the direction we need to take.”

Ake Svensson, president of the aerospace and defence industries association of Europe (ASD), accepted that industry had a responsibility to clean up its act, but also stressed that environmental improvements have already been made.

“Aviation accounts for about three per cent of man-made emissions,” he said. 

“To some extent this has been the price of progress - 2.2bn passengers fly annually, and aviation accounts for 32m jobs worldwide.

“In many cases there is no practical alternative to flying. But three per cent is still a problem that we have to address. This is a non-acceptable footprint.

“However, I am proud to be part of an industry that has grown at such a pace, and that recognises when challenges arise. We are not the problem; we are part of the solution.”

Clean Sky will select technologies for development between 2008 and 2010, leading to full-scale demonstrations between 2013 and 2014.

At present, 86 organisations from 16 countries, including 20 SMEs, 15 research centres and 17 universities are part of the Clean Sky JTI.

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