Aerospace: Low carbon, High value, Europe’s future

The aerospace industry is a crucial sector for Europe. It contributes to the achievement of the EU's key socio-economic goals, ensuring sustainable mobility, providing highly-skilled jobs and fostering European's knowledge economy through massive R&D investments.

A key economic asset

In Europe, the aerospace sector generates a turnover of € 105 billion and employs half a million highly-skilled professionals.
It is a major contributor to the EU trade balance: around three-quarters of Europe's civil aviation output is exported outside of the EU.
Dynamic and innovative, it is a world leader in advanced engineering.
It is also one of the most R&D intensive sectors in Europe, dedicating more than 12% of its turnover to research and development.

20% of its employees work in R&D. Only in the pharmaceuticals sector (another fast-growing, R&D intensive industry) is the proportion higher.
Aerospace drives innovation in science and technology. It generates substantial technology transfers, and provides spill-over benefits to numerous other economic sectors.

A powerful driver of European integration

Pan-European industrial cooperation is an integral part of the sector’s DNA. European-built aircraft operated across
the continent contribute to turning the concepts of "ever closer union" and "the free movement of goods,
services and people" into a reality. European aerospace is actively making the vision of an integrated Europe come true.

Limiting aviation’s environmental impact

Through constant technological innovation, the aerospace industry has managed to significantly improve aviation's environmental performance. For example, fuel consumption levels - and corresponding CO2 emissions - from a jet aircraft have decreased by 70% over the last 50 years.
The European aerospace industry is determined to continue down that path of innovation to limit aviation's impact on the environment. European aerospace companies are currently exploring all possible areas where substantial environmental gains can be obtained, includingaerodynamics, advanced materials, engines and alternative fuels.

The industry has come together to launch "Clean Sky", a € 1.6 billion programme based on a 50/50 partnership with the European Commission. Clean Sky will develop and validate the technologies needed to meet the objectives set by ACARE, i.e. to reduce CO2 emissions and noise by 50% from 2000 levels.
 

The key objective of the conference is to present and discuss the strategic issues facing European Aerospace in the light of the economic and environmental realities of the day, as well as the challenges and opportunities posed by the European political choices as the Union charters its way ahead for the next decade.