Pronexos has recently attended a three-day conference exploring sustainable aviation innovations in Toulouse, France. Hosted by the Netherlands Aerospace Group (NAG), Netherlands Enterprise Agency (RVO) and the Dutch Embassy in Paris, the event brought businesses together to review and collaborate on sustainable innovations in the industry.
“This event was a great opportunity to make connections in the industry, and see some of the new technology applications that businesses in this sector are focusing on first-hand,” said Pronexos Sales Manager, Frank Wissink.
Topics explored at the event included: the development of a hydrogen-powered aircraft; the application of lightweight materials like thermoplastics in aircrafts; and the production and use of Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF).
European governments taking action
The Sustainable Aviation Innovation Mission was organised following government consultations that took place between France and the Netherlands in March 2022. During the consultation, French President Macron and Dutch Prime Minister Rutte agreed to establish an “innovation pact”, which resulted in the commitment to hold incremental sustainable aviation conferences like this one.
During the event, the Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR) revealed the National Growth Fund proposal “Aviation in Transition” to attendees. The National Growth Fund, totalling €768 million, contributes to the ambition to achieve climate-neutral aviation by 2050. This Dutch fund proposal aims to align with President Macron’s ambition to have a hydrogen aircraft in production as early as 2030.
Sustainable innovations in aerospace
Alongside Pronexos, the Innovation Mission was attended by many significant names in the industry, such as Aeronamic and KLM Engineering & Maintenance, who brought a number of thought-provoking presentations to the stage. Additionally to the NLR’s presentation of the “Aviation in Transition” proposal, highlights of the event included:
- A visit to the Airbus headquarters, where ZeroE, an ongoing hydrogen aircraft project, was presented
- A seminar held at Aerospace Valley, an organisation of local aerospace companies and research centres with over 800 members, where attending businesses pitched their projects
- A visit to the facilities of ISAE-SUPAERO, a dedicated engineering school and part of Delft University of Technology
Moving forward in aviation innovation
Follow-up agreements made at this event included the finalisation of a Dutch Airbus supplier contract, Aerospace Valley’s exploration of further NAG and RVO cooperation, and the introduction of ATR “scouting sessions” to source collaborative contracts between businesses in attendance.
In addition to these participant-specific actions, ongoing events are being organised to sustain the partnerships forged in Toulouse this month. “Pronexos plan to attend all missions going forward, in order to generate and inspire new business, as well as solidifying Pronexos as a prominent name in the aviation industry,” commented Wissink.
To find out more about the innovative work Pronexos does, read about our work in aerospace or talk to us today.
