More power to aviation research
In the EU, the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE) has the challenging task of evaluating the needs of European aeronautical research to advance the region’s SRA. In support of this mission and building on a prior initiative, the EU-funded project 'Aeronautical stakeholders tools for the European research agenda 2' (Astera 2) took up the challenge. Astera 2 helped ACARE to create, maintain, update and implement its SRA. It guided stakeholders in planning research programmes and identifying future needs in aeronautics, as well as advancing policy requirements to encourage European research. The project also worked on information technology (IT) tools to facilitate decision making and dissemination of information on the ACARE activities. ACARE identified and analysed all nationally funded research initiatives and institutions in the field, outlining recommendations to further support these initiatives. It then conducted studies and surveys for ACARE for sustained development of the SRA, organising a workshop on breakthrough ideas named 'Outside the box'. The second part of Astera 2 saw the creation of the SRA navigator, a powerful communication tool that enables users to bridge the gap between the two editions of the SRA. Another tool was aimed at raising awareness among the general public regarding the benefits of high-tech aviation research in Europe and the world at large. Several workshops throughout the EU were hosted to promote the objectives of the SRA and of ACARE, serving as a notable communication platform to further the organisations' goals. Thanks to these efforts, aerospace research in the EU has become more competitive and better positioned in the global arena.
