Busquin forms group to foster common aeronautics vision
Philippe Busquin, European Commissioner for Research, has created an advisory group who are to aid the development of a European aeronautics and air transport system. The group is to complete a report for final adoption shortly before Christmas, which will be presented at Aeronautics Days 2001 in Hamburg, Germany, on 29 to 31 January 2001. An ambitious and inclusive common vision for the aeronautics and air transport system, which can be implemented by 2020 is required of the group, as well as recommendations on to how to achieve this vision. The industry is reported to be in full agreement on the need for such a vision, and the research required to underpin it. The group consists of 14 eminent figures from the aeronautics industry, including Manfred Bischoff, chairman of DaimlerChrisler Aerospace AG's supervisory board, Sir Ralph Robins, chairman of Rolls Royce plc and Arne Wittlöv, executive vice president of Volvo. The group will be chaired by Mr Busquin. Solutions to questions such as how to build on current success and become world leaders in all aspects of aeronautics are hoped to come out of Mr Busquin's initiative. The group is also likely to tackle issues such as safety, the environment, sustaining competitiveness and innovation, research agenda coherence and the development of greater synergies between R&D at enterprise, regional, national and European level and the most effective use of the European Research Area's resources for aeronautics. Aeronautics is a leading industrial sector in Europe, with an annual turnover of more than 60 billion euro, and is also Europe's leading export sector. Some 30 per cent of publicly funded aeronautics civil research is now organised at EU level under the Commission's Framework programme.