Representatives of ZAL Center for Applied Aeronautical Research and National Research Council of Canada (NRC) signed a framework agreement at the Paris Air Show (June 17-23, 2019). In 2017, the institutions launched two joint research projects regarding acoustics in aircraft cabin and composite fibre materials. Now, the cooperation is being expanded further.

With this agreement, ZAL and the NRC will be expanding their research collaboration into other forward-looking areas such as the development of new maintenance and data evaluation methods in aircraft design (digital twinning) as well as urban air mobility, said ZAL in a press release.

The agreement was signed by Roland Gerhards, managing director of ZAL GmbH and François Cordeau, vice-president, transportation and manufacturing division, NRC.

“In ZAL, the National Research Council of Canada has found the perfect partner for expanding transatlantic cooperation. Hamburg’s open and cooperative innovation culture is engaging with the comprehensive expertise of one of the leading aerospace nations. Application-oriented research and sharing the knowledge gained are essential in view of the topics that are shaping the future of aviation,” said Hamburg’s minister for economic affairs, transport and innovation, senator Michael Westhagemann, on the signing of the agreement at Le Bourget.

“Since the opening of ZAL in 2016, we have guided a whole row of successful collaboration projects to take-off. It is always our goal to extend this principle internationally, and the German-Canadian projects researching cabin acoustics and fireproof composites are already bearing fruit. I am proud that we can now roll out the cooperation between our two locations at a national level, enabling us to benefit from one another,” said Gerhards.

“Canada and Germany have a long standing history of research and funding collaborations, both on the academic and private sector side and in 2017, the Government of Canada signed a Joint Declaration of Intent to recognise the existing partnerships between both countries and commit to more collaborations on research and development, and technological innovation initiatives. This international strategic partnership with ZAL reinforces our commitment to positioning ourselves as a global leader in advancing research and innovation,” said president of NRC, Iain Stewart.

“I am delighted to be expanding our research collaboration with ZAL, which will provide a framework to develop a technology roadmap for tackling R&D challenges faced by the aerospace industry and developing future focus areas. Germany is a key international partner for the NRC and this is another step in deepening our collaboration with German research organisations and partners,” said Cordeau. (PC)