Campaign for aviation research is flying high
The importance of aviation has long been recognised in Europe. More recently, it has resulted in the publication of 'Flightpath 2050' — Europe's vision for aviation beyond 2020, a far-reaching view on the future challenges and needs of aviation and air transport. Based on this vision, a new Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda (SRIA) for aviation has been developed so that the goals for European aviation in 2050 are set today. To help promote this roadmap, the 'Aeronautics and air transport European research agenda - promotion' (AERA - PRO) project, funded by the EU, was established. The project's main objective was to ensure that the impact of the strategic agenda for aviation would be as wide as possible. To achieve its aims, AERA - PRO organised a series of nine conferences across Europe to promote the key messages of the SRIA. Through its broad dissemination campaign, the project has also succeeded in raising the profile of EU research in the aeronautics sector on a global scale. It has transformed the strategic agenda for aviation into a well known reference document for all aeronautics and air transport stakeholders in Europe and beyond. Another result from the now completed AERA - PRO project concerned its contribution towards achieving the comprehensive objectives of the SRIA. It has played a small but significant part in helping to ensure that EU mobility needs will be met safely and more sustainably, and that Europe will maintain a leading edge at the forefront of aviation research.
