Newsletter, Friday 07-03-2014
Air Transport Network - Next
Generation (AirTN-NextGen), funded under the 7th
Framework Programme, started
on the 1st December 2013. It
aims at continuing the network established under previous AirTN projects (developed under ERA-NET scheme) and
widening it to create a platform of communication between national organisations and governmental institutions, supporting
research and innovation in the field of aviation (aeronautics and air transport
- AAT).
AirTN NextGen
will continue and improve the successful activities started in previous AirTN projects by:
• promotion
of coordinated calls among Member States
• launch
of European transnational cooperation projects
• stimulation
of co-operation of national funded research in support of technology
initiatives on European scale such as Horizon 2020, Clean Sky, SESAR, etc.;
• identification
of Research Infrastructure needs and business models analysis
• stimulation
of education and workforce mobility
• development
of studies on areas of common interest
• organisation of dedicated
workshops.
General information about the project
and possibilities for involvement
The
consortium consists of 10 project partners, coordinated by CIRA- Centro Italiano Ricerche Aerospaziali. An AirTN- NextGen Network is being created; this network will consist
of 28 Member States and Associated Countries, and related
Agencies/Ministries/Research Centres that are
funding/managing research and innovation programmes/projects
relevant to Aeronautics and Air Transport. The ACARE Member States Group and
the National ACARE mirror groups are involved to favour
communication and coordination.
• Members
of the AirTN- NextGen
Network will benefit of:
• Participation
to dedicated ad hoc workshops
• Participation
to specific studies and provide MS input
• Visibility
of project activities and deliverables
• Improve
their own visibility
• Better
networking/coordination for transnational cooperation, international cooperation,
research infrastructures, education and workforce mobility
A budget of
90.000 € is available for workshops and
support of external experts for performing studies.
Transnational Cooperation
AirTN NextGen
will support RTD&I transnational (including international) through
different activities:
• information
on regional, national and transnational calls via the AirTN
Call calendar: http://www.airtn.eu/programmes--calls/calls/index.html
• current
information on regional and national programs in Europe: http://www.airtn.eu/programmes--calls/programmes/index.html
• Stimulating
co-operation of national funded research in support of technology initiatives
on a European scale such as Horizon 2020, Clean Sky, SESAR, and their follow-up
projects.
• An
intensive interaction with the ACARE Member States Group will be maintained.
• Stimulating practical
opportunities to develop cooperation in research and innovation, including
transnational joint calls where relevant and monitoring outcomes of the
performed actions.
Education and Workforce
As also
recognized in FlightPath2050 and SRIA, Aviation education is an important
element of the process needed to maintain the world-leading position and
competitiveness in the dynamic world market for Europe's aviation industry.
AirTN NextGen
will organise the INAIR 2014 conference. The event will strengthen the world-leading
position and competitiveness of aviation by sharing knowledge from various
areas associated with the civil aviation industry such as:
• Navigation
services, navigation systems, ATM safety
• Airport
systems, design and operation
• Aviation
education and flight training
• Economic
aspects of aviation industry
• Aircraft
manufacturing, maintenance and operation
The venue
and date of the INAIR 2014 conference will soon be fixed and announced.
A Workshop
on Education and Training for Aviation Engineers and Researchers in Europe will
be organised jointly with ACARE WG5 (Prioritising research testing capabilities and education).
It is planned for June 2013 in Brussels. Details will follow as soon as
possible.
On top of
the above mentioned activities, the AirTN NextGen project will focus on the following actions.
• Specification of possible student
internship placements.
• Survey of possible proposals for
a thesis (Master level) or dissertation (PhD. level).
• Proposal of common master course
among prestigious aviation universities.
• Organisation
of a conference that will focus on possibilities for support of personnel
exchanges on specific projects/topics among industry, research establishment
and universities.
Research Infrastructure
Research
Infrastructures are one of the key factors identified in the SRIA for achieving
Flightpath 2050 challenges; thus, it is very
important to identify synergies between European and national Strategies.
In
AirTN-FP7, a catalogue of aeronautical research infrastructures (with a focus
on experimental test facilities) in various EU countries was established, and
an analysis of corresponding investment policies, priorities and mechanisms was
conducted. This catalogue is a unique
inventory of all relevant research facilities in Europe. http://www.airtn.eu/catalogues/research-facilities/index.html#345654a19d0b8af10
AirTN NextGen
will focus on enhancing transnational cooperation in the field of research
infrastructures for simulation, virtual testing and virtual certification. The
Research Infrastructure catalogue will be updated on the basis of incoming new
inputs according to the criteria defined and used in the AirTN
FP7 project.
A seminar,
also jointly organised with ACARE WG5, dedicated to
the topic of clusters of simulation capabilities regarding the research
infrastructures and their associated software tools, is planned to be held in
Bonn. This event will bring together various experts of the aeronautics field (ACARE,
AirTN, EREA, GARTEUR...) to analyse
key points of clusters of simulations for future virtual testing and virtual
certification. Details on the conference will be made public as soon as
possible.