FLUG REVUE December 2005: ACARE seeks to boost European research

December 2005

VIP-Interview

BENGT HALSE

Chairman of ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe)

With an ambitious strategic research agenda, Europe wants to secure the future of its flagship aeronautics industry as a world leader.

FLUG REVUE: ACARE has outlined strategic research goals for the European aerospace industry. What are these goals and why were they choosen?

Bengt Halse: Well, ACARE was formed in 2001 with the aim to look far into the future to influence the research across the whole air transport system, including aircraft, airports, airlines, air traffic control etc. We began by outlining top-level objectives on how to better serve the needs of society, including low noise, less congestion, a reduction in emissions and the like. Factoring in these demands was very important, because public acceptance is what ultimately limits our growth potential. With those broad aims in mind we then looked at the operating characteristics of aerospace systems and defined strategic gaols like lowering emissions of CO2 by 80 per cent, lowering NOx by 50 per cent or shortening the time to board aircraft. Those sorts of targets gave us a framework for selecting the right research programmes.

FLUG REVUE: That sounds quite ambitious, but in Europe, there are all sorts of grandiose plans that do not work.

Halse: At the outset I indeed didn´t belief that we would be able to bring all these stakeholders in the air transport system together, but it worked, and that is really the first ground breaking achievement of ACARE. Regarding the goals, we really wanted to be ambitious to identify the technologies that have the potential to achieve step changes. We are quite optimistic that we can achieve breakthroughs, because this industry has always been working at the forefront of technology.

FR: What progress has been made in the last four years?

Halse: We have delivered in terms of papers. We have put in some 7000 man days of resources. It's the first time a system of research needs across all stakeholders has been outlined. A technology platform, to use the EU term, has been established, and we have been able to disseminate our findings in many workshops. A number of countries have actually structured their national research programmes to align with the strategic research agenda. And of course the EU framework research programmes are in step. So we are really influencing the research map of Europe in this area.

FLUG REVUE: What are the next steps?

Halse: We now have to set up the programmes to get the technologies ready to make those changes. That is of course the responsibility of the stakeholders of ACARE, like aircraft manufacturers, airlines, ATC organisations, research establishments etc. There will be all sorts of arrangements, from EU programmes to national and collaborative programmes and private investment. But thanks to the work of ACARE, the direction has been agreed.

FLUG REVUE: There are a lot of bodies involved. Who will provide the finance?

Halse: This is always a very complicated question, but I believe we have really achieved a lot of consensus in this area as well. We have checked what sort of financing is required, we have it done both bottom up and top down by different techniques. To achieve the vision we would require some 160 to 170 billion Euros over the next 20 years. Of course this is not secured, nothing is ever secured, but the EC has adopted this as a recommendation and in the forthcoming FP7 (Framework Programme on research) will boost funding for air systems work.

We have to keep in mind what has been said in the Lisbon strategy, and this part of Lisbon is still valid, namely that Europe has to increase its overall R&D spending to three per cent of GDP, one third contributed by public sources and two-thirds by private investment. At the moment, some 80 per cent of R&D in Europe is spent by private industry, an it is hard see this continuing indefinitely, so we believe strong public funding is needed too, not least at national level.

Its not only a question of the absolute amount, its also a question of efficiency, and that's also where the strategic goals enter the picture. You have to have a coherent view and head in the same direction.

FR: That's all right, but in the EU its mostly necessary to get everyone involved even if he has no high-tech industry, especially the new members.

Halse: This is not black and white. If there is too much duplication, and that is certainly the case today, resources are not used efficiently. That's an area where ACARE helps to coordinate things better. But duplication also drives competition, and that is a very powerful instrument as well. So it's a balance.

FR: In the ACARE reports, a stable environment for the industry and a high-calibre workforce are mentioned as success factors.

Halse: These aspects are indeed very, very important. With aircraft and airports we talk about extremely long live cycles. So we must keep a very stable course. We need very good people in research and development and in management. So one of the most crucial things is to attract talent which is enabling industry to grow its business and deliver its important services to society.

FR: In the latest report on the Strategic Research Agenda there is also a chapter looking beyond 2020. Will there be a shift of emphasis over the long term?

Halse: This work is a never ending story. In this industry, the original 2020 vision is already a very near-term target, so we need to look beyond that to identify new challenges and solutions. So for example, do we need to shift from oil to hydrogen, will there be more automation, will more airports be located offshore? I think our next report will deal with these questions in more detail.

From FLUG REVUE 12/2005

Last updated 10 November 2005

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