Aviation is a cutting-edge industry, and the EU has firmly established itself as the leader with 58% of the global large commercial aircraft market. This success story is an EU success story.
However, the sector is at a turning point, facing critical challenges such as a growing demand for capacity, decarbonisation, noise reduction, and digitalisation. To remain at the forefront, aviation must continuously innovate. The EU is providing significant support through programmes such as the Connecting Europe Facility, Horizon Europe and the Innovation Fund. These programmes support the development of next-generation solutions, ensuring they reach the market and drive the industry forward.
From break-through ideas to real-world solutions: game changing research and innovation
The future of EU aviation is being shaped through the Horizon Europe research programme, which allocates approximately €2 billion to advancing the sector.
While the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking manages €1.7 billion of this budget for commercial aircraft demonstrators, and SESAR3 JU €0.6 billion for ATM research, CINEA plays a crucial role in managing the EU investment of €300 million into new aircraft technologies, infrastructures and sustainable aviation fuels. These initiatives are instrumental in driving key research and innovation across Europe.
The areas for innovation development include sustainable aviation fuels (SAF), next-generation engine technologies, hydrogen combustion and storage, advanced materials, safety, noise, pollution and CO2 measurement and reduction, drone technologies, and innovative aircraft design, manufacturing and operation, among others.
With a strong pipeline of more than 50 projects involving leading public and private research institutes, innovative start-ups and SMEs, and major industrial players, the EU aviation ecosystem is using this public financial support to pave the way for aircraft that are lighter, cleaner, safer and more cost-effective to design, build and operate.
Coordinated by Re-Cord renewable energy consortium in Italy, BIO4A demonstrated the first large industrial-scale production and use of sustainable aviation fuel in Europe (HEFA), obtained from residual lipids such as used cooking oil.
EU contribution: €10 million
Coordinated by the University of Southern Denmark, the Drones4Safety project developed an innovative autonomous self-charging drone on-the-fly system that will transform the inspection of railways and bridges.
EU contribution: €3.5 million
The Hylena project, coordinated and patented by Airbus, is devising an innovative hydrogen-powered electrical aircraft propulsion concept. It will use Solid Oxide Fuel Cells (SOFC) and turbo-machinery for a step-chance in efficiency.
EU contribution: €4.3 million
Coordinated by Airbus, GOLIAT is demonstrating how high-flow liquid hydrogen (LH2) handling and refuelling technologies can be developed and used safely and reliably for airport operations.
EU contribution: €10.8 million
Coordinated by Pipistrel in Slovenia, the Mahepa project demonstrated the first electric, piloted light aircraft, made and certified in the EU. It also provided new testing procedures and scalability studies, as well as first piloted hydrogen-powered flights by start-up H2FLY.
EU contribution: €9 million
The EFACA project, coordinated by PEDECE in Portugal, with Ukrainian participation, is testing a hybrid turbo-electric propulsion system for a propeller-driven regional aircraft. It will test fuel cells with conventional liquid and novel phase cooling.
EU contribution: €3.8 million
Contrails, those fluffy white streaks left behind by aeroplanes flying overhead, do a lot of damage to the skies. BeCoM, coordinated by the Delft University of Technology, is seeking to better understand how contrails affect climate and how best to mitigate negative impacts, along with the new Airbus-led project PACIFIC.
EU contribution: €9.5 million
Open fan engine concepts could reduce weight and emissions relative to conventional ducted fans, but they may be noisier. The PANDORA project, coordinated by the Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, will address this gap with experimental data and advanced models.
EU contribution: €4.3 million
Coordinated by the Von Karman Institute in Belgium, the Enodise project set out to reduce aircraft gaseous and noise emissions by improving the integration of the propulsion system with the airframe.
EU contribution: €5 million
The Sustainair project, coordinated by LKR in Austria, applied circular economy principles to the design, manufacturing, operations and end-of-life phases of aircraft.
EU contribution: €4.8 million
The Exaelia project coordinated by the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre is pioneering advanced flying testbeds up to pre-design to accelerate the adoption of both hydrogen-powered and blended wing body long-range aircraft.
EU contribution: €16 million
The SUN-to-LIQUID II project researches conversion pathways to produce hydrocarbon fuel from solar energy through the development of an improved reactor for solar concentrating heliostat and tower systems.
EU contribution: €4.9 million
From concept to take-off: the path to deployment
Once Horizon Europe projects are completed, there is often still a long path to market deployment. Other EU funding programmes managed by CINEA can provide excellent opportunities roll-out these technologies on the market, in particular:
- The Connecting Europe Facility for Transport (CEF Transport) supports aviation-related infrastructure in the areas of air traffic management, large scale demonstrations of aviation innovations in live operational environments, deployment of alternative fuel, and airport infrastructure under military mobility.
- The Innovation Fund, financed by credits from the EU Emissions Trading System, supports tangible industrial aviation decarbonisation initiatives across the entire value chain, such as the upscaling of sustainable aviation fuel (SAF) production, innovative aircraft development and deployment, and airport infrastructure.
- The LIFE programme supports projects covering environmental aspects of transport, such as waste reduction, and nature-based solutions.
Discover project examples
The eGOANA project is decarbonising airside ground operations at 9 Portuguese airports by developing electricity supply and charging infrastructure.
EU contribution: €38 million
The LIFE Archiclima project adapts buildings such as Katowice airport with nature-based solutions to reduce negative impact on the climate.
EU contribution: €1.3 million
The LIFE MACLEAN project led by Safran is developing a novel helicopter engine maintenance technology that will avoid the use of hazardous chemicals in cleaning procedures.
EU contribution: €700 000
The BioOstrand project is building the world’s first commercial scale biorefinery in Sweden producing sustainable aviation fuel and naphtha from solid forest residues.
EU contribution: €166 million
The Hermes project by start-up Aura Aero in France focuses on development, certification and production of a hybrid electric 19-seat aircraft.
EU contribution: €95 million
The Pioneer project is developing a system consisting of second-life batteries from cars to store solar energy at Rome Airport.
EU contribution: €3.1 million