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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.