Industry says extra cash needed to achieve strategic aeronautical objectives set by EC advisory council
European industry has called for €165 billion ($213 billion) in funding for aeronautics research and development over the next 20 years, an increase of 65% over current public and private R&D spending of about €5 billion a year. One-third of the funding would come from the European Commission and two-thirds from industry and academia.
The additional funding is required to achieve the objectives of the updated strategic research agenda (SRA) unveiled by ACARE, the EC's advisory council for aeronautics research. The first edition of the SRA, released in 2002, called for €100 billion in R&D spending over 20 years, and resulted in the EC providing €840 million for aeronautics research under its 2002-6 Sixth Framework programme (FP6).
The second edition, SRA-2, will guide EC funding for aeronautics under the 2007-11 Seventh Framework (FP7), with calls for research proposals scheduled to begin later this year. Speaking at ACARE's Aerodays conference in Brussels late last month, EC research directorate director air transport Jack Metthey said the budget for FP7 would be more than double the budget for FP6. "We will do our job and a little bit more than that. I will let you work out what that means in numerical terms," he said. The unofficial figure for EC aeronautics research funding is €2.5 billion over the seven years of FP7.
SRA-2 prioritises research to 2020 under so-called "high level target concepts". These are: the highly customer-oriented air transport system that provides new levels of passenger choice and flexibility; the highly time-efficient air transport system that is predictable and reliable; the highly cost-efficient air transport system that considers all hardware and operating costs; the ultra-green air transport system that tightly regulates emissions and noise; and the ultra-secure air transport system that is concerned with both the threat and the response.
GRAHAM WARWICK/WASHINGTON DC
Source: Flight International
