Acare logo
About ACARE

What is ACARE?

ACARE's chairs

ACARE stands for more than 20 years of qualified advice and contribution to aviation research and innovation.

In 2021, the ACARE General Assembly with the EC, the Member states and the various aviation associations and organisations have tasked the ACARE Chair team to organize and steer a writing team to come up with a new European vision for aviation in view of the Green Deal of the EC.

This new vision is a result of the work of a writing team composed of almost all European aviation stakeholders and, therefore, it is not only a description of goals but also a commitment of all of us to work towards this vision.

After presenting this document to the public and the European aviation community, ACARE set itself on a path to inventorize whether the current European research and innovation bodies and activities will indeed result in realization of our Fly the Green Deal vision. Based on this activity and with the support of all ACARE members it will be established how to best support the future of aviation.

The ACARE interim Chair team

Michel Peters (EREA), Marco Protti (Leonardo), Bart de Vries (KLM)

Michel Peter
ACARE Co Chair
Marco Protti
ACARE Co Chair
Bart de Vries
ACARE Co-Chair

The role of ACARE

For more than 20 years ACARE addresses strategic, policy, regulatory, technical and institutional issues, providing an open forum for discussion and a consensus based decision- making process. As well as individual stakeholders spanning the entire aviation sector (e.g. from aircraft integrators and suppliers of all tiers, airlines, airports and ATM providers, other service providers, research establishments and universities), it counts European aviation associations as its stakeholders.

ACARE’s reach extends beyond research and innovation and also beyond the purely civil sector into the dual use civil-military domain.

Up to now, the role of ACARE was to:
develop visions and strategies
turn those strategies into reality
provide strategic advice on research and innovation
facilitate mutually beneficial international cooperation
communicate the benefits of European Aviation

ACARE always did all this in a balanced, unbiased and multi-directional manner and delivers huge value to the EC and its stakeholders.

However, ACARE recognises that huge challenges lay ahead and that these can only be overcome by a new approach.
To make the required rapid, significant scientific and technological progress, even deeper collaboration is needed between many actors, extending well beyond the aviation sector to encompass, for example, energy and all other transport modes.

This collaboration must span and integrate all aspects of aviation from research and innovation to operations.

Working closely together with the EC, EASA, Eurocontrol, representatives of Member States and the European aviation associations of all types, ACARE is best positioned to act as the single, concerted voice across its rich European representation that is needed to future proof European aviation by turning this Vision into the European Aviation Strategy.

In addition ACARE will be able to coordinate the realisation of the Vision and Strategy as it well positioned to oversee and secure coherence between individual initiatives needed to deliver impact.

To achieve this, also the ACARE structure and organisation needs to be aligned with the new vision. The issues to be addressed in defining the future ACARE are the terms of reference, the legal status of the organisation, governance, budget and the tasks to be undertaken.

During this process, also the annex of this vision will be reviewed in order to match goals, stakeholders, timescales and expectations ensuring continuous alignment with the Green Deal in the most efficient way.

History

Launched at the Paris Air Show in June 2001, ACARE has over 100 member bodies and associations including the European Commission, EU Member States, manufacturing industry, airlines, airports, air navigation service providers, EASA, Eurocontrol, research establishments and universities.

Significant progress has been made since 2000: new aircraft designs are quieter and burn less fuel per passenger kilometre which means less emission.

Publication of ACARE's new vision

Report of the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and Innovation in Europe

2022
Delivering Europe’s Vision for Aviation: SRIA 2017 Update
2017
First launch of SRIA
SRIA (Strategic Research and Innovation Agenda) represents a vital contribution to maintaining and expanding this excellence in the future and provides guidance on the research, development and innovation.
2012
Flightpath 2050 published

ACARE has set out challenging objectives for future debates in the new Europe's Vision for Aviation

2011
Third release of the SRIA

Two initiatives launched to access progress made so far:

  1. AGAPE: ACARE Goals And Progress Evaluation
  2. MEFISTO: Methodolgy for Framework Programmes Impact
2008
Second release of the SRIA

Second release of the SRIA

2004
First release of the SRIA

First release of the SRIA

2002
Launch of ACARE at Paris Air Show

First report published

2001
ACARE was established

The importance of aviation led to a first agreement of stakeholders to establish ACARE

2000

FAQ

ACARE is the Advisory Council for Aviation Research and innovation in Europe and provides a network for strategic research in aeronautics and air transport so that aviation satisfies the needs of society and secures global leadership for Europe in this important sector.

ACARE is essential in bringing together the right stakeholders to turn the air transport vision in Europe into reality.

ACARE has been in existence since 2001 and comprises European public and private stakeholders who collaborate on a common purpose to develop challenging improvements for aeronautics and air transport in Europe.
ACARE maintains a governance structure to develop and review strategic options, priorities and objectives through a General Assembly and Strategy and Integration Board.
Supporting groups provide forums to review implementation, infrastructure and communication needs on a regular basis.
Since Aviation is seen as one of the top five advanced technology sectors in Europe, ACARE has developed an ambitious roadmap outlining strategic directions that should be taken to enable Europe to remain a global leader in this field as well as provide an air transport system that satisfies society and environmental needs.

Targets have been set on aspects covering five goals.

A comprehensive list of objectives and targets is available on this website.
As in the past, European and National research programmes have been implemented by ACARE stakeholders with the aim of contributing to the achievement of the objectives laid down in the previous SRA.

European and National Programs including large scale initiatives such as Clean Sky 2 and SESAR will help achieve the ACARE objectives.

SRIA is a crucial tool in enabling the right Research & Innovation to be undertaken to deliver the vision of Flightpath 2050.
ACARE launched two initiatives in 2008 to assess the progress made so far:

1. AGAPE (ACARE Goals And Progress Evaluation): evaluated the progress made towards the previous ACARE goals, to re-assess priorities in support of the new Flightpath 2050 vision

2. MEFISTO (Methodology for Framework Programmes’ impact assessment in transport): provided a methodology for assessing the impact of the Framework Programmes 5 and 6 in transport

It is clear that significant progress has been made and the key conclusions from these initiatives are available on this website.

Further progress will be monitored through several Coordination and Support Actions (CSAs) projects financed under the Horizon 2020 Framework Programme.
Flightpath 2050 takes the work undertaken by ACARE beyond 2020 and on to 2050. It recognises the importance of providing a network for strategic research in aeronautics and air transport with the aim of satisfying the needs of society as well as securing global leadership for Europe in this important sector.
The aviation sector has a strong track record on innovation. Since the first jet airliners of some 50 years ago, on a passenger per kilometre basis, aircraft burn 70% less fuel, are 75% quieter and smoke and smell have been virtually eliminated. This would not have been possible without significant research efforts.

ACARE set some very challenging goals to achieve by 2020 relative to the year 2000. Flightpath 2050 will enable this effort to continue beyond 2020. The goals will be met by developing future Strategic Research and Innovation Agendas (SRIA) in response to the new vision declared by the High Level Group which was convened by the European Commission.
Flightpath 2050 continues the work that ACARE has been doing since 2001 beyond 2020 to 2050. A long term commitment to research and innovation in aeronautics and air transport is essential in making sure that the sector continues its important work to deliver solutions that society will need in the future.

There are many examples showing how ACARE has successfully delivered significant technology improvements over the last decade (see ACARE Success Stories) and it is really important that this effort is continued with much needed support from the European Commission and the other stakeholders involved.
The Flightpath 2050 goal to reduce CO2 emissions by 75% per passenger kilometre by 2050 will form a significant contribution towards the global aviation sector (comprising ACI, CANSO, IATA, ICCAIA and IBAC) goals which state that from 2020, net carbon emissions from aviation will be capped through carbon neutral growth and by 2050 net aviation carbon emissions will be half of what they were in 2005.

The more we can reduce carbon emissions through the development and deployment of advanced and more efficient technology, the less impact aviation will have on the environment.

Improvements in operational practices, infrastructure and future developments of sustainable and commercially viable alternative fuels will add to this contribution.
ACARE provides an expert view of aviation research and innovation. The companies, institutions and other stakeholders that join ACARE will influence the very many opportunities that could be considered to bring about the improvements needed in aeronautics and the air transport system.

The direct way of participating is through your membership of one of the many institutions that comprise ACARE. Further details can be found on this website.
linkedin facebook pinterest youtube rss twitter instagram facebook-blank rss-blank linkedin-blank pinterest youtube twitter instagram