Five awards presented during the Excellence Club Aerospace Awards evening have just rewarded the players in the aeronautics and space industry. Innovation, boldness, and above all, commitment to the aviation and space of the near future.
On October 4, 2022 in Toulouse, the Excellence Club Aerospace presented 5 awards for innovation and industrial research for the development of the aerospace industry at the Toulouse Metropole Innovation Center called B612. This building brings together researchers, established aerospace companies and emerging companies to foster new ideas in the aerospace sector. Its name is a reference to the book by the aviator and writer Antoine de St Exupéry, whose title "The Little Prince" corresponds to the hero from asteroid B612.
A whole range of players from the aerospace world, large and small innovative companies, both French and foreign (USA, Germany, etc.), met to officially award five prizes for the most innovative projects of 2022. The trophies were awarded on the subjects of Green Aviation, Innovation, Artificial Intelligence, Connectivity / IoT (Internet of Things) and Inspiring Student. The selection of the best projects submitted for evaluation was previously made by a jury of academics and professionals representing international companies chosen for their concern to promote innovation and their awareness of the social responsibility they carry. The jury includes prominent members of companies such as Liebherr Aerospace, Limatech and IbaseT.
1 - Green Aviation Award: Thales
The award-winning Flights Footprint estimator project consists of optimizing the flight profiles of commercial aircraft to significantly minimize CO2 and non-CO2 emissions, condensation trails and NOX emissions.
2 - Innovation Award: AirBusiness Academy
AirBusiness Academy was awarded for its "Early Adopters" approach to the launch of a new 'Civil Aviation Carbon neutrality' training program. This program brought together 13 participants from 9 different companies representing the entire value chain of the aviation industry (airlines, suppliers, airports...) to research, examine and exchange on the different available means contributing to the achievement of carbon neutrality by 2050. The innovation approach consists in placing the end-users and the identification of their needs at the heart of the reflection for the co-design of this training, in order to ensure its desirability, its value, its impact, and a responsible growth. The approach was systematic, using simulation tools (AirManager™) and assessing the impact of the actions envisaged on emissions, but also on the value chain. The creativity of the project consisted in identifying, sharing and cumulating in an optimal way all currently available methods contributing to the minimization of the carbon impact.
3 - Artificial Intelligence Award: Iwiation (German company)
The objective of the awarded project is to improve safety on small airfields through the use of artificial intelligence. The technique developed by Iwiation allows to detect aircraft and to calculate their position in real time from visual data. This makes it possible to document all object movements on the airfield and to send warnings to the airfield operator.
In addition, the system can document landings and departures from transponder information and visual call sign detection.
4 - Connectivity / IOT (Internet of Thing): Collins / easyJet / Airbus
The Collins / EasyJet / Airbus team was formed with the aim of carrying out a project to create an ecosystem of real-time data obtained or transmitted by the control tower, the aircraft's technical or commercial crew or the company's ground teams. With this data circulating continuously via radio waves or satellites, it is possible to optimize in-flight operations (trajectory, on-board customer service, etc.) and ground operations (predictive maintenance, etc.). This will result in operational gains with a direct economic and environmental impact.
5 - Inspiring Student Award : Neamine project with Thomas DELHON IPSA / ISAE
The winning project consists in a first step to identify accessible asteroids with rare materials. After a selection, it is a question of going to seek on this one the rare materials and to bring them back. This project has an industrial reality and competes with American and Chinese approaches.
This Excellence Club Aerospace Awards 2022 event on October 4, 2022, gives the best projects increased visibility so that they can better develop. During the evening cocktail party, many contacts were also made, combining utility and pleasure. All the team of Nadia Didelot, organizer of the event and Air&Cosmos, partner of the Excellence Club Aerospace, wish the best flight to all these innovative projects related to the aerospace field and see you next year.