Two perspectives, one strategy on shaping the future of Europe's aviation

1. What is the ARIS strategy presented at the Paris Air Show? Why is it important for Europe to have a unified aviation research and innovation strategy at this moment in time?

Sabine Klauke (SK): ARIS is short for Aviation Research and Innovation Strategy. Many stakeholders from the aviation sector have joined forces to draw up the strategy because we see a clear need: We cannot take our European success story of global technological leadership in aviation for granted. Countries in other world regions are investing heavily in the sector, and decarbonisation, digitalisation and a changing geopolitical context are posing important challenges.
Aviation is a major socio-economic contributor to Europe: The sector supports 15 million jobs and contributes EUR 1.1 trillion to European economic activity. It is vital for the cultivation of a highly skilled workforce within the EU, for European integration, for global connectivity and for our sovereignty. That’s why we need to act now.

Arndt Schoenemann (AS): In ARIS, we identify three key areas where investment is required: aircraft technologies (developing competitive, more efficient and zero emission aircraft technologies), air traffic management (establishing the Digital European Sky), and transforming enablers (enhancing European manufacturing, maintenance, digitalisation, and workforce upskilling). These investment areas must cover all aviation segments and the entire innovation pipeline, including upstream research up to deployment. 
Collaboration is key to maximising the impact of investment into research and development and ensure competitiveness and sustainability. This is why we call for a Europe-wide aviation R&I strategy that leverages public and private investment and fosters cross-border collaboration. Such collaboration between EU and Member States and Regions, involving industry, operational stakeholders, academia, SMEs and research institutions, is the basis for continued success in the sector.

2. What are the next steps after submitting the strategy to the European Commission, particularly in terms of funding, implementation, and industry involvement?

SK:  The strategy sets a clear path forward, but its success hinges on securing appropriate funding to support technology maturation and large-scale deployment.  With the European Commission’s formal proposal for the EU’s long-term budget for 2028-2034, expected in July, there is a window of opportunity to ensure that aviation R&I remains a funding priority. To maintain Europe’s competitive edge, the sector will require dedicated EU funding and / or financing mechanisms that bridge the so-called “valley of death” – a gap that often emerges between technology demonstration and successful market uptake. 

AS:  That’s why the strategy calls for an investment of EUR 66 billion, with EUR 22.5 billion (one third of the funding on average) required at EU level over 2028-34. The remaining funding should come from a combination of contributions from Member States and private funding. This EU contribution is vital to de-risk innovation and accelerate product industrialisation, ensuring the sector remains globally competitive and deliver on climate neutrality goals. Just as important is involving stakeholders across the entire aviation ecosystem—from industry and air navigation service providers, airspace users and airports, to regulators and research organisations—in shaping priorities and supporting implementation. Their engagement will be essential to ensure that innovation reaches the operational environment and delivers real impact.

3. What concrete role do Clean Aviation and SESAR play in transforming European aviation towards climate neutrality?

SK: The Clean Aviation and SESAR Joint Undertakings are European institutional public-private partnerships. These partnerships tackle Europe’s most pressing challenges – like climate neutrality and competitiveness. Clean Aviation and SESAR are covering different aspects of aviation technologies, which are complementary: Clean Aviation is focused on accelerating disruptive aircraft technologies to significantly reduce greenhouse gas emissions, while SESAR develops innovations in air traffic management to improve flight efficiency and reduce the environmental footprint of operations.
From an aircraft manufacturer’s point of view, Clean Aviation is key to designing, integrating, and demonstrating the next generation of aircraft technologies. These include hydrogen-powered propulsion, hybrid-electric systems, and ultra-efficient configurations. The goal is to reduce net greenhouse gas emissions as a concrete contribution to the European Green Deal and the goal of climate neutrality by 2050. SESAR complements this by ensuring that once these aircraft are certified and ready, they can operate in a modern, digital ATM system that allows them to perform at their most efficient.

AS: From the air traffic management perspective, SESAR is fundamental to transforming how airspace is managed safely across Europe. It delivers the digitalisation of ATM—supporting cleaner, more predictable trajectories, better network coordination, increased capacity and fewer delays, all of which reduce emissions. These operational improvements are essential for making aviation more sustainable in the short and medium term, while also enhancing safety and security across the network. They also create the conditions necessary for introducing the new aircraft developed by Clean Aviation.