EU initiative promotes scientific and technological collaboration between EU and US in the aeronautics sector
The ‘COOPERATEUS’ (Conditions of success for R&T Open Options through a Platform of communications and for Expressing Recommendation Actions to Team-up Europe and U.S.) initiative was presented during the ICAS conference in Nice, France. COOPERATEUS, which the EU launched within its 7th Framework Programme, aims to promote scientific and technological collaboration between the EU and US.
COOPERATEUS will identify opportunities for mutually beneficial collaboration between the EU and US in the field of Research and Technology (R&T) for the aeronautics sector. The focus will be on socially relevant aeronautical issues that concern both the US and Europe, such as sustainability and safety. This project is unique in that the partners will display a strong commitment to openly sharing research experiences, both in terms of technological content and experiences pertaining to general subject areas, such as research management, regulatory financing, operations and the industrial application of research findings.
COOPERATEUS partners represent the entire European aeronautics sector and include Airbus, Alenia Aeronautica and Dassault (aircraft), Snecma (aircraft engines), Thales (on board systems), NLR (research centre), EASN (academic world), CDTI and also AirRT and TK (consultancy). The AeroSpace and Defence Industries Association of Europe (ASD) will coordinate the project.
NLR is a member of the COOPERATEUS consortium and responsible for the work package segment, which includes initiating, expanding and improving R&T collaboration between research institutes in Europe and the US , with a specific focus on civil aviation and environmental issues. NLR will serve as the intermediary between, on the European side, the Aeronautics Research Group (ARG) of the Association of European Research Establishments in Aeronautics (EREA), and, on the American side, various research organisations, such as NASA.
COOPERATEUS will lead to an improved overview of areas for possible collaboration. The US for example has a different system for funding research, in which intellectual property rights are involved, and also differs from Europe in the ways in which collaboration between industry and institutes is organised.
COOPERATEUS, which is scheduled to run until the second half of 2010, will strive to improve relations between European and American organisations in the area of aeronautics R&T, while also helping to create collective roadmaps and launch specific initiatives involving new collaborative projects. Finally, the work conducted as part of COOPERATEUS will focus on reaching a comprise agreement regarding a contractual and legal framework for collaborative projects.
