We live in a world that would be unthinkable without air transport. Some places can only be reached by air, and most products are made at one end of the world and needed at the other. So we will continue to fly in the future. The challenge of making air travel sustainable and energy efficient in the future is a global one - so it is essential that we work together globally to find a solution.
The fact that our needs must not be at the expense of the climate should no longer be in doubt to anybody. At SE²A, we have been working on climate-neutral air travel with our extensive international network since 2019, when the cluster was launched. But we are thinking bigger. We are planning more collaborations and partnerships for the future.
On the one hand, international research means expanding research infrastructure and sharing research data. On the other hand, international research means being aware of the regulations and needs of other countries and cultures, and incorporating these findings into developments as best as possible.
This is what makes theSE²A Cluster of Excellence so special in its organisation as a research association. We are, think and research internationally and interdisciplinarily. This ensures that as many different perspectives and skills as possible are incorporated into our development and research work.
Europe has become a leading centre for research and development in sustainable aviation technologies. TU Braunschweig, TU Delft and ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse are among the most renowned research centres.
Strengthening our European network in aeronautics research is a very important step for TU Braunschweig. TU Delft, with the largest aerospace faculty in Europe, and ISAE-SUPAERO in Toulouse are excellent research partners who, like us, have an outstanding network of major research and aerospace industries at their locations.
The Faculty of Aerospace Engineering at TU Delft in the Netherlands is the largest faculty of its kind in Europe. The faculty has a strong focus on innovative research and development in the field of aerospace engineering. TU Delft and the SE²A Cluster of Excellence have been collaborating since 2020. Within this framework, we use each other's research infrastructure, exchange research data and work on joint publications. This also includes jointly supervised PhD theses with a research stay of at least 18 months at one of the SE²A institutions.
The Institut Supérieur de l'Aéronautique et de l'Espace (ISAE-SUPAERO) is one of the world's oldest aeronautical engineering schools and is renowned for its aeronautical expertise. It maintains close partnerships with industrial partners and research institutes around the world. Research areas include air traffic systems and management as well as aircraft design and technology.
In February 2002, TU Braunschweig, TU Delft and ISAE-SUPAERO signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU).
Internationality is a way of life in our Cluster of Excellence. Our international exchange programmes bring young students and doctoral candidates to Germany - and give researchers from Germany the opportunity to spend time abroad.
In 2023, we successfully launched our first Summer School with international PhD and Master’s students who were enthusiastic about both the online courses and the on-site research work within the Cluster of Excellence. The summer school was successfully held again in 2024.