Aviation industry to set out its long-term strategy for research and innovation

The strategy aims to green the industry whilst increasing competitiveness, improving safety and integrating air transport into seamless transport chains.

Siim Kallas, European Vice-President, and Commissioner with responsibility for transport, welcomed the strategy, saying, “Aviation needs new green technologies and biofuels to reduce its impact on the environment. Smart services must make air travelling efficient and reliable in case of unforeseen events. Air and ground transport must be seamlessly connected, allowing people reach their destinations as planned, with a single ticket and no hassle with baggage or security controls.”

European aviation is seen as facing many challenges, including a shift in economic power, emerging new competitors and a need to reduce its impact on the environment. At the same time, safety and security remain high priorities and air transport needs to be better connected to the other transport modes.

UK contribution to air safety

Also this week, the UK announced the first dedicated facility outside of the US for assessing how silicon microchips respond to cosmic radiation.

Cosmic radiation has the power to cause the failure of electronic systems in aircraft and road vehicles, with problems ranging from erasing a device’s memory to complete destruction of the electronics. The £11 million testing facility called Chipir will replicate the effect of cosmic radiation on microchips accumulated over 100 years of flying time in the space of an hour.

The findings will help manufacturers build more reliable electronic systems, making planes and cars safer. Chris Frost, Chipir Project Scientist said, “I have been working with colleagues from UK and European industry over the last few years to study the huge impact that cosmic ray neutrons can have on the operation and reliability of modern electronics. Our all-pervasive reliance on electronics in everything from aircraft systems to medical equipment, to computer and communication networks [makes Chipir] a key tool for understanding and overcoming this industry-wide problem.”

Chipir will be funded by the UK’s Large Facilities Capital Fund, which is administered by central Government. The investment will cover the construction of the facility and the necessary software to record the data from the microchip testing.