A European Trans-national Research Cooperation in Aeronautics
The European Commission launched within the the Sixth Framework Programme the European Research Area Networks (ERA-NETs) initiative, which aims to coordinate the cooperation of national and regional research activities of EU Member States. One of these ERA-NETs is the ERA-NET AirTN, the ERA-NET for Aeronautics and Air Transport.
The ERA-NET AirTN project started in January 2006. The objective of the ERA-NET scheme is to step up the cooperation and coordination of research activities carried out at a national or regional level in the AirTN Member States and Associated States through
- the networking of research activities conducted at national or regional level and
- the mutual opening of national and regional research programmes.
The ERA-NET scheme will contribute to realising the European Research Area by improving the coherence and coordination of national research programmes in Europe. The scheme also enables national systems to take on tasks collectively that would not have been tackled independently.
The ERA-NET Project Air Transport Net (AirTN) covers Aeronautical Research and Air Traffic Management issues and thus the whole Air Transport System. All partners have a common strategic interest in these fields. They are public bodies, for example ministries and programme agencies, who manage nationally funded aeronautical research programmes.
The Partners
The partners are
- Austria
BMVIT - Austrian Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology
FFG - Austrian Research Promotion Agency - Belgium
BELSPO - Belgian Federal Science Policy Office Aeronautics - Czech Republic
MSMT - Ministry of Education, Youth and Sports
VZLU - Aeronautical Research and Test Institute - France
MEEDDAT/DGAC/DTA - Ministry for Ecology, Energy, Sustainable Development and Land Use
ONERA - The French Aerospace Lab - Germany
BMWI - Federal Ministry of Economics and Technology
DLR/PT-LF Programme Management Office Aeronautics Research & Technology - Greece
GSR - Ministry of Development/ General Secretariat for Research and Technology - Hungary
NORT - National Office for Research and Technology - Ireland
EI - Enterprise Ireland - Italy
MIUR - Ministry of Education, University and Research
CIRA - The Italian Aerospace Research Centre - Poland
NCBiR - National Centre for Research and Development - Portugal
FCT - Foundation for Science and Technology - Romania
ROSA - Romanian Space Agency - Slovakia
MDPaT - Ministry of Transport and Communications of Slovak Republic
UNI ZILINA - University of Zilina - Spain
CDTI - Centre for the Development of Industrial Technology - Sweden
VINNOVA - Swedish Agency for Innovation Systems - Switzerland
SER - Secretariat for Education and Research
CTI - Innovation Promotion Agency - The Netherlands
EZ - Ministry of Economic Affairs
NIVR - Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programmes
NLR - National Aerospace Laboratory - The United Kingdom
BERR - Department for Business, Enterprise & Regulatory Reform
TSB - Technology Strategy Board
The Objectives
The AirTN overall Objectives are:
- to step up the cooperation and coordination of research activities in aeronautics carried out at a national level through the networking of research activities at EU level;
- to provide an effective platform to support the ACARE initiative and the development and implementation of the Strategic Research Agenda;
- to support EU and EUROCONTROL activities for implementation of a Single European Sky for a seamless Air Traffic Management all over Europe;
- to initiate joint actions.