Public-private partnership to develop ‘greener’ aircraft

The European Union will launch a €1.6 billion public-private partnership on Tuesday (5 February) to develop a new generation of greener aircraft.

The ‘clean sky’ initiative is Europe’s largest ever research project, funded by equal shares from the European Commission and industry. Last December, it was approved by ministers and members of the European Parliament, amid concerns that Europe is lagging behind the rest of the world in developing new technologies to curb emissions of carbon dioxide (CO2).

The Commission estimates that the research will help the aviation industry make cuts of up to 50% in CO2 emissions, 80% of nitrogen oxide emissions and a 50% cut in noise by 2020.

Myriam Goldsztejn, vice-president of European Commission Business Development at Dassault Aviation (one of the companies involved in the clean sky project), said that it was right that the aviation industry received public money. "If we are not helped by somebody, it’s difficult to put in all that money. Without the help of the European Commission, nothing could have been done," she said, referring to "the problem of investing in such long-tern technology".

‘Clean sky’ will focus on six different research areas. They include a €372 million project for so-called smart fixed wings that can sense airflow and adapt their shape and a €419m-project to develop green engines that are lighter, quieter and less polluting. The Commission and industry representatives from companies including Airbus, Rolls Royce and Eurocopter will take a decision in around 18 months on which projects will be taken forward. Goldsztejn said that it was too early to say when these innovations would be airborne.

João Vieira, a policy officer at Transport and Environment, said: "We definitely need new technology on the aviation sector." But Vieira added that aircraft prices did not reflect the social costs of air transport. "It would be generally better if the Commission concentrated on eliminating [this] market failure rather than concentrating on R&D, which will have a limited impact."

Clean sky is part of the EU’s seventh framework programme for research, for 2007-13. It is one of four public-private partnerships that are being developed between the EU and industry. The others are nano-electronics, "invisible computers" (computers embedded in everyday objects) and innovative medicines.

Janez Potocnik, the European science and research commissioner, who will speak at the launch of the clean sky project next week, told European Voice: "We have to focus on stepping up R&D…the average in Europe is still lagging behind US and Japan."

The commissioner predicted that on current trends China will catch up with Europe on R&D spending by 2010.

The European Union will launch a €1.6 billion public-private partnership on Tuesday (5 February) to develop a new generation of greener aircraft.