Julian Moxon/PARIS
THE FRENCH defence ministry has told national research agency Onera that it must prepare a new strategic plan by December to provide for reductions in the defence budget and adjust to the restructuring of the country's aerospace industry.
Onera celebrates its 50th anniversary this year - a 12-month period described by president Michel Scheller as "absolutely key to the future of the agency". Its annual budget has been stable, at Fr1.4 billion ($270 million) a year since 1990, but this is being threatened by major cuts in defence spending, from where a significant portion of its funding comes.
Scheller says that the agency is having to adapt in the same way as the French aerospace industry to be more cost effective. Attempts to avoid duplication of the activities of other European agencies continues under the AEREA group (which brings together France, Germany, Italy, the Netherlands, Spain, Sweden and the UK), but progress towards the creation of a European version of NASA has been slow.
He admits that while the industry is restructuring "extremely fast", it may take up to ten years for the same integration to happen with European research bodies. The agency is in the process of creating several "centres of excellence" in key aerospace areas, but progress has again been slow. Scheller says Onera will present its solution for restructuring by September. "Then it will be up to the ministry to make its policy decisions," he adds.
Scheller also points to Onera becoming less dependent on defence funding, and more closely tied to the civil-aerospace industry, including a new project aimed at giving more support to small companies which need research assistance to launch programmes.
Source: Flight International