A high-level panel intended to define the aeronautics industry's strategic research agenda and help to make it a reality will be launched at the Paris air show.
Creation of the new entity, the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe (ACARE), was recommended in the aeronautics Vision 2020 plan released earlier this year. As proposed, ACARE would be a "light structure" composed of up to 30 people appointed by the European Commission for "their experience, commitment and vision" and would build a consensus in favour of strategic actions, exercise influence in favour of strategic research agenda priorities and represent major stakeholders.
"The real aim and the challenge for ACARE is, it has to be done in an informal and unbureaucratic way, and that is what industry is supporting: to come with a joint programme without administrating it in a very heavy way," says outgoing Aecma secretary general Peter Fichtmüller.
EC research commissioner Philippe Busquin will announce the appointments in Paris, where he is also scheduled to meet with Russian vice-president and chief of Russian aerospace affairs Yuri Koptev. The first meeting of ACARE will be on 19 June. Key European Union research projects will be spotlighted at selected stands at Le Bourget.
Source: Flight International