Fraunhofer-GesellschaftILA Berlin Air Show
Fraunhofer supports continuation of »Clean Sky« program
Aviation will produce fewer emissions, save more fuel and become more environmentally friendly – these are the goals that leading aviation companies and research institutions have set for themselves in the EU project dubbed "Clean Sky." The mammoth project is now scheduled to be extended until 2020: on September 12, project partners – including founding member Fraunhofer – signed a letter of intent to this effect.
Less noise, less exhaust gases, less waste – the air travel of tomorrow is meant to become quieter, cleaner and environmentally friendlier. Leading aviation companies and research institutions are working to accomplish just that as part of the EU project, »Clean Sky.« Under this 1.6-billion-Euro program they put various technical aspects of air travel to the test, evaluating and further developing them. At the International Air Show ILA in Berlin, Prof. Dr. Ulrich Buller, Executive Board Member and Senior Vice President for Research Planning at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft, has now signed an agreement to continue this program together with the 13 major players in the aviation field – from 2014 until 2020.
»As a source of support to the industry, the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft will remain heavily involved in the Clean-Sky Project in the future. We are reinforcing our continuity today by signing this letter of intent,« Buller added. The mission of Fraunhofer researchers will be to lead and coordinate fields throughout all of the foundations of the project. While there have been 12 Fraunhofer Institutes involved in Project Clean Sky to date, in the future they will not be able to fulfill all of the tasks required. »We plan to involve 31 Fraunhofer Institutes to make use of the entire breadth of our possibilities, expertise and creativity,« according to John Simpson, Chairman of Fraunhofer Aviation. »Therefore it's important to provide precise definition of the goals at all levels of the companies as we have to date. That way, everyone will know exactly what he or she is to do.«
Plans are for the European Commission, together with the aviation industry, to commit a total of 3.6 billion euros for Clean Sky 2 over a seven-year period. The project is meant to go hand-in-hand with the goals of »Flightpath 2050« – a concept of the European Commission drawn up by a high-ranking group of researchers for air travel and aviation in the year 2050. It will also take into account the new agenda for strategic research and innovation issued by Acare (Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe). Part of the agreement is for Clean Sky 2 to remain embedded in the European research and innovation program »Horizon 2020 – A framework programme for research and innovation:« this program will also run from 2014 through 2020 and will encompass a budget of approx. 80 billion euros.