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The Institute is involved in the ecological transition of the aerospace ecosystem

Publication Date

02 October 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Aerospace

Meeting

Sustainability

By being invited to the virtual seminar organised by the International Civil Aviation Organisation (ICAO) “CO2 Emissions Reductions in the Aviation Sector” and to the third edition of the Space Forum La Tribune, the Institute was able to debate and present its research and programmes in energy transition and Earth observation for climate to decision-makers in the aeronautics and space sectors.
An ICAO international seminar aimed at finding solutions for the use of sustainable fuel, where industry, institutions and research bodies specialising in the environment took part to debate and present their work to implement innovative solutions.

For its new edition, “What are the challenges for the next decade in the space sector in France and Europe?”, the Space Forum La Tribune aims to debate the issues of space at the service of the Earth and the study of the impact of COVID-19 on the sector. Marie-Hélène Barroux also took part in the round table discussion on the climate and its challenges, alongside Corinne Mailles, Deputy Managing Director of Telespazio, a provider of satellite services and applications, and Marc Pontaud, Scientific Director at Météo France.
She outlined the Institute’s expertise in optical sensors for climate observation satellites and the fight against global warming.

The LARGO7M sensor onboard the Korean KOMPAT2 satellite for ocean observation was developed under a CRISTAL agreement with AIRBUS, and is a concrete example of this.
As part of this partnership, the Institute is developing chairs covering a number of scientific research areas. These chairs resonate with the themes of the ICAO forum, “Stimulating and implementing innovation to reduce CO2 emissions in the aviation sector”.

ISAE-SUPAERO SUSTAINABLY

One example is the CEDAR chair, developed with AIRBUS, which aims to implement air transport solutions that reduce its ecological footprint. In this way, it is helping to raise awareness and train future aeronautical engineers in the sustainable development of air transport by integrating a more global approach to environmental engineering. The DAHER chair, signed in 2019, is developing research into the design and certification of light aircraft with hybrid-electric propulsion. In the field of propulsion, the AEGIS Chair aims to consolidate the innovative concepts of propulsion architectures that will equip the next generations of aircraft.
The creation of these chairs has also been made possible by the Fondation ISAE-SUPAERO, whose “raison d’être” is to accelerate the realisation of innovative projects contributing to a sustainable world.

ENGINEERING STUDENTS "OUT OF THE BOX

Sustainable development is a subject that is increasingly relevant to the Institute’s students in a complex context. For deputy president Marie-Hélène Barroux, “they have a key role to play, and the institute provides them with the skills and creative space to play it. The school is also adapting to meet these challenges and new demands, and is making changes to its training courses.

Programmes are being developed in this area, such as the environmental engineering certificate offered in the third year, which takes a lifecycle approach to aircraft design and covers eco-mobility, eco-design and the economics of air transport.

“We want our students to be agents of change! The movement is very powerful and far-reaching, and our students are getting involved by taking part in low-tech competitions, creating student associations such as Supaero4Earth, and developing projects such as Solarboost (a concept for a mobile tricycle with an electric motor powered by solar panels)… Our alumni are also involved with the SUPAERO DECARBO association, in the climate fresk, in which all first-year engineering students take part, and by supporting the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation,” explains the Sustainable Development Manager at these forums.
The aim this year is to train 100% of students in climate issues.

” Having invented and developed air transport, the aeronautical sector now needs to decarbonise it. It’s a new challenge, just as ambitious as the previous ones. To meet it, we’re going to have to invent new aircraft, drawing on all the technological and creative strengths of our engineers. “

Olivier Lesbre – President of ISAE-SUPAERO

THE SKY AT THE SERVICE OF THE EARTH

More and more students are going into the space sector, with a clear focus on sustainable development in space. One third of the R&D budget is devoted to space-related research, including the development of nanosatellites and new multispectral sensors.
The research groups in the Department of Electronics, Optronics and Systems (DEOS) are working to develop sensors that are increasingly accurate, resistant to radiation and efficient in terms of data collection. This research is carried out in collaboration with manufacturers in the sector. Chairs have also been created in this field, such as SAC lab, Nuclétudes, etc.

The stakes in this sector are high if we are to recover ever more data and steer the space industry towards a data economy. Sensors are the eyes of the world, monitoring the Earth and anticipating changes. More precision for more modelling to anticipate climate change due to human activities.

Students are also involved in programmes to test new technologies in space through scientific missions from design to launch of nanostallelites, such as Entrysat and Eyesat, experimental cubsats, to be put into orbit in collaboration with CNES (Centre National d’Etudes Spatiales) in 2019.
ISAE SUPAERO is home to the CSUT (Centre Spatial Universitaire de Toulouse) control centre.

PRESENTATION OF THE OBSERVATION PRIZE FOR THE EARTH PRIZE

Marie-Hélène Baroux was therefore entirely justified in presenting the Earth Observation prize to KERMAP, a company specialising in observation for regional planning, the environment and agriculture. KERMAP has also launched a website open to the general public, where key figures on urban vegetation in French municipalities are just a click away. An example of the complex management and analysis of satellite data.
The prize was awarded by a panel of scientific experts from research and industry in the space sector, including Laurent JOLY, Deputy Director of Research at ISAE-SUPAERO.

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The French high-tech group supports the Institute through a research chair. The prize: a thesis on an integrated approach to air transport and eleven scholarships of excellence to support high-achieving European students.

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Work on decarbonising aviation recognised by the American Institute of Aeronautics and Astronautics (AIAA)

Paul Saves, a doctoral student at ISAE-SUPAERO/ONERA, has won the 2022 Best Paper Award from the AIAA for his work in Multidisciplinary Design Optimization (MDO).

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Our Semester & Short Programmes

Discover ISAE-SUPAERO's academic excellence through our semester and short programmes, open to international students.

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COP2 Student: ISAE-SUPAERO affirms its commitment to ecological transition by signing the Grenoble Agreement

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AASTRA Certificate: Introductory Webinar on May 26 from 6:00 p.m. to 7:00 p.m.

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ISAE-SUPAERO expands its collaboration with TU Delft on sustainable aviation

During President Macron's state visit to the Netherlands, five agreements were signed to strengthen collaboration between the two countries in the field of science and technology. Among them, an agreement between TU Delft and France provides for close collaboration between ISAE-SUPAERO and TU Delft in the field of sustainable aviation.

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Energy efficiency at ISAE-SUPAERO

ISAE-SUPAERO is fully committed to reducing its environmental footprint, particularly its energy consumption and dependence on fossil fuels. Since 2019, our campus has been evolving to improve the energy performance of our buildings. Let's find out together how this progress is being translated, the actions that have been put in place and our objectives for the future. To find out more: https://www.isae-supaero.fr/fr/horizons-186/vivre-un-campus-bas-carbone/vivre-un-campus-bas-carbone/

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CUBE ÉTAT Awards Ceremony: ISAE-SUPAERO Takes the Top Spot

From November 2024 to November 2025, ISAE-SUPAERO participated in the second edition of the CUBE État competition. This national challenge pits government buildings against one another with a noble goal: to achieve maximum energy savings by focusing solely on adjustments and usage patterns.

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The Toulouse School of Aviation and Aerospace Engineering (TSAAE) launches its official social media accounts

It is now possible to follow news from the 𝐓𝐨𝐮𝐥𝐨𝐮𝐬𝐞 𝐒𝐜𝐡𝐨𝐨𝐥 𝐨𝐟 𝐀𝐯𝐢𝐚𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧 𝐚𝐧𝐝 𝐀𝐞𝐫𝐨𝐬𝐩𝐚𝐜𝐞 𝐄𝐧𝐠𝐢𝐧𝐞𝐞𝐫𝐢𝐧𝐠 (𝐓𝐒𝐀𝐀𝐄) on social media!

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An ISAE-SUPAERO delegation accompanies the Minister of the Armed Forces on a visit to Delair

The Labège-based company, with which ISAE-SUPAERO has a close relationship, welcomed Sébastien Lecornu as part of an order for 150 drones for the Ukrainian theatre of operations.

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Decarbonisation of aviation: ISAE-SUPAERO launches training programme for professionals with GIFAS

This one-day training course aims to help employees in the aeronautics sector play an active and informed role in the decarbonisation of the sector. The first two sessions will be held on Thursday 3 April 2025 in Toulouse and Thursday 10 April 2025 in Paris.

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Carbon neutrality: What strategy should ISAE-SUPAERO adopt?

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ISAE-SUPAERO is broadcasting the webinar "Air transport in crisis and the climate challenge: towards new paradigms" on campus!

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ISAE-SUPAERO develops a methodology to quantify the environmental impact of its research projects

The Research Department has introduced a metric to assess the ambition of ISAE-SUPAERO's research activities in the transition to a sustainable society. The assessment reveals that more than a third (35%) of the research projects carried out at the Institute aim to have a significant impact on the environment.

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Our Key Figures

Find out the key figures for ISAE-SUPAERO, a Graduate school of engineering with a multidisciplinary curriculum at the global forefront of higher education and research in aerospace engineering.

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Support for the Development of the ISAE Group - GIFAS

GIFAS (Groupement des Industries Françaises Aéronautiques et Spatiales - French Aerospace Industries Group) supports the development of high-level academic and professional education in aerospace systems at the 6 Grandes Écoles that make up the ISAE Group (ISAE-ENSMA, ISAE-SUPMECA, ESTACA, Ecole de l'Air et de l'Espace, ENAC, ISAE-SUPAERO).

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The SOLAR BOOST project helps address the problem of urban transport

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Testimonials

Testimony from Lisa Wong, 2024 graduate of the TAS ASTRO Advanced Master® programme, SEEDS option

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Aviation and Climate: an assessment of transition scenarios for sustainable aviation compatible with the Paris Agreement

In 2021, ISAE-SUPAERO researchers Scott Delbecq, Jérôme Fontane, Nicolas Gourdain, Florian Simatos and Thomas Planès published the ‘Aviation and Climate’ report, summarising international scientific publications in order to provide the scientific information needed to understand the challenges of decarbonising air transport.

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2026 edition of "Les Entretiens de Toulouse"

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Making a Lasting Commitment to New Horizons

Our world is facing major technological, health and environmental challenges. Although they are diverse in nature, they all share one thing in common: their great complexity, which combines scientific and social dimensions. It is the job of engineers to build bridges between science and society, using science to take concrete action in society. To address the complexity of these challenges, engineers have a voice to speak with and solutions to propose.

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ISAE-SUPAERO publishes an aviation and climate report

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Aerospace Summer Programme

Enjoy a unique experience at the heart of aeronautics and space technology with intensive courses, exclusive industrial visits, and an international immersion in Paris, Poitiers and Toulouse.

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Our Partners and Networks

At ISAE-SUPAERO, we benefit from an exceptional academic, scientific and industrial environment. Our Institute has established privileged relationships with a large number of regional, national and international players in education, research and industry, as well as with public authorities and socio-economic partners. Our institution is heavily involved in scientific networks in our field of activity.

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Webconference: Perspectives on Sustainable Aviation from TSAAE x MIT - “Vulnerabilities in a Changing World”

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ISAE Group

Created in 2011, the ISAE Group now brings together all the leading engineering schools in the Aeronautics, Space and Defence sector. It represents a scientific and educational community that shares the values of excellence, openness and innovation. Every year, the ISAE Group's schools train almost half of the young engineers hired by companies and institutions in the sector.

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2025 edition of "La nuit des chercheurs"

Meet ISAE-SUPAERO researchers at the Nuit des Chercheurs de Toulouse, on October 3 at 6pm at the Halles de la Cartoucherie, on the theme of “Intelligence(s)”!

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ISAE-SUPAERO is officially a Pro-Vélo Employer!

Championed by the Fédération des Usagers de la Bicyclette (FUB) and supported by ADEME, the Employeur Pro-Vélo label recognizes employer sites that implement ambitious pro-bike initiatives. ISAE-SUPAERO is proud to announce its Silver level certification.

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ISAE-SUPAERO ranked among the top three institutions most committed to ecological and societal transition!

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Innovating in a World of Transition - Safran

The challenges facing the aerospace industry (energy transition, New Space, digitalization) are driving a growing need for professionals with the ability to innovate. Against this backdrop, Safran and ISAE-SUPAERO are creating the Innovating in a World in Transition Chair.

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Content Related To'Institute'

Envision responsible air transport

Publication Date

03 July 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Aeronautics

Sustainability

The students behind the project

Quentin Barascud, Antoine Salgas and Victor Lauféron are all passionate about aeronautics and are in their third year of the engineering programme. Joining ISAE-SUPAERO has always been an obvious choice for them.

Deprived of their gap year internship because of the health crisis, they didn’t hesitate to work on a micro-project proposed by the Institute’s management to outline some solutions for improving the climate impact of aviation. They sought to understand the issues surrounding these questions from a technological point of view, but also from a societal and economic point of view, in order to propose a sustainable future for this industry by 2040.

Based on public data and their academic knowledge, this report has enabled them to put forward a number of ideas to kick-start the shift towards truly greener aviation.

“We have proposed a list of measures aimed at moderating this impact while preserving the very raison d’être of aviation, which is to open up to the world,” says Antoine Salgas.

Sustainable development is everyone's business

The idea of this project is also to exchange and compare these analyses with experts from the Académie de l’air et de l’espace, former programme directors and pioneers of the French and European aeronautics industry. This is an opportunity to create inter-generational exchanges to refine their ideas and gain an inside view of the field. The aim is to gather outside opinions and understand the constraints on progress and open up to other, less theoretical horizons.

It’s also an opportunity for us to understand that our generation is not the only one concerned about these issues,” says Antoine after their video conference discussions.

The discussions gave the students a better grasp of the complexity of some of the points raised in their report “15 ideas for more sustainable air transport”.
It also gave us the impression that we really can help this industry to evolve. We also sensed a strong desire on the part of the industry to change the paradigm and commit to the development of green aviation “, says Victor Lauféron.

Following these discussions, the students will go back to their work to incorporate the academics’ comments. It is important for both the protagonists and the management to share this work with all ISAE-SUPAERO students in ways that have yet to be defined. Because, as the members of the Academy pointed out during the discussions, the circulation of ideas is a key component of the challenge of the energy transition.

The theme of sustainable development is unavoidable and has been selected by the ISAE-SUPAERO Board of Directors as a key element of the teaching programme. These exchanges and feedback are part of this teaching approach and should be of benefit to all students, not only to extend their knowledge but also to introduce reliable elements into the treatment of sensitive subjects such as sustainable development. The academics made a number of proposals, such as extending these discussions to the different modes of transport, through inter-school relations, to further increase exchanges between these future leaders.

The future in green

Victor hopes that this initial brainstorming will spark off new ideas among the other students, helping them to find solutions to the colossal problem of global warming.

Antoine can see himself working to solve this challenge.
While I remain very cautious about the government’s announcements of ‘zero carbon’ aircraft, the political will is there and promises some great projects for our generation to work on.

Quentin Barascud concludes: “This may be the biggest challenge the sector has ever faced, but I think we have to aim for green and sustainable aviation to keep the best of what it has to offer. Because if we, as future aeronautical engineers, don’t believe in it, this type of project will never see the light of day.”

Nicolas Cruaud, Engineer at ISAE-SUPAERO and co-founder of the start-up Néolithe

Publication Date

03 June 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Meeting

Presentation

Startup

Sustainability

Could you introduce yourself and tell us a bit about your background?

My name is Nicolas Cruaud, and I’m a polytechnique engineer doing a year of specialisation at ISAE-SUPAERO. At X, I took courses in mechanics and entrepreneurship, and at ISAE-SUPAERO I’m studying Space Systems Design and Operation and Industrial Engineering.

Could you tell us more about Néolithe?

Néolithe aims to turn household waste into stone. We produce mineral aggregates that can be used in the construction industry, particularly for road underlay and concrete, from all types of non-recyclable waste (household waste, industrial waste, etc.).

It was originally a family project, which we developed with my father, my brother and Clément Bénassy, a young graduate of AgroParisTech. The idea came from my father, a stonemason and concrete formulator, who, observing the limestone he was cutting (resulting from the fossilisation and sedimentation of prehistoric waste), wondered whether we could also ‘fossilise’ our own waste, a little more quickly, to reduce the associated pollution.
We then pitched the idea at a Start-up Weekend at Ecole Polytechnique in March 2018, and have been working on the project ever since.

What are the benefits of your project in terms of sustainable development?

The environmental impact is the main advantage of our technology. Fossilising waste avoids incineration or landfill, and the associated pollution. Compared with incineration, our process reduces CO2 emissions by 80%. In France as a whole, this would represent a 5% reduction in the country’s total CO2 emissions, all industries combined! That’s twice as much as all the CO2 produced by air traffic. And because our aim is to implement our process on a very large scale, the cost of treating waste by fossilisation is the same as the cost of incineration: for the same price, you’re going green!

What are your plans and prospects for Néolithe?

This September, we will be commissioning our first fossiliser, a mobile (container-based) waste treatment facility. The aim is to demonstrate our technology, and then to replicate it rapidly in France and Europe with local authorities and industry. Thanks to its agility, the Fossilisateur can be set up directly in a district, a small town, or on the site of a factory or building site, to treat waste on the spot. Our aim is to relocate waste processing as close as possible to where it is produced, so as to avoid transporting waste, which on average travels 100km by lorry before being landfilled or incinerated.

Engineering and sustainable development: what is the relevance of bringing these 2 sectors together?

I think there are different kinds of sustainable development. There’s a lot of talk about the little things we can do on a daily basis to reduce our environmental impact. I think that, although this is necessary, it is not the most important lever for sustainable development. In my opinion, the main lever is technological and industrial. We need to seek to achieve ecology on an industrial scale, through replicable and economically viable models. I think that’s why it’s vital to have engineers working in sustainable development. We need to find real technical solutions capable of revolutionising polluting sectors to reduce the environmental footprint of entire industries.

Our partners are going green!

Publication Date

03 June 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Partner

Sustainability

Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS commits to sustainable development

Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse SAS, the Liebherr Group’s centre of excellence for air systems, has published its 2019 greenhouse gas emissions report for its sites in Toulouse and Campsas (Tarn-et-Garonne). Developments in terms of energy management within the company have produced encouraging results since 2014, with a 34% reduction in emissions despite the company’s growth.

Actions such as improving infrastructure, switching to electric power for certain vehicles and replacing oil-fired boilers help to explain these positive results. Further reductions are expected in the coming years, with the installation of photovoltaic panels currently in progress.

The company is also committed to preserving biodiversity and raising employee awareness of environmental issues. At its Toulouse site, 575 m² of flowery fallow land have been created in 2019 to attract pollinating insects, and this approach has recently been supplemented by the installation of 4 insect hotels. The company is also planning to install nesting boxes for bats and birds, and is studying the possibility of setting up beehives, as well as planting melliferous shrubs and flowers.

Finally, every year the company organises awareness-raising sessions on car-pooling and other alternatives to the private car, and encourages its employees to use public transport.

MBDA, a major defence player committed to the environment

In the heart of the Sologne region, the MBDA site at Selles-Saint-Denis covers more than 250 hectares of forest. A centre of excellence for missile integration located in an environment classified Natura 2000, this industrial site is the focus of special attention aimed at preserving its fauna and biodiversity through numerous protection and maintenance actions carried out throughout the year.
Far from being limited to the exterior, environmentally-friendly initiatives are also naturally in place within the company: selective sorting, replacement of neon lights with LED lighting, operation of a biomass boiler fed by local wood since 2006, etc.

These measures, which are already numerous, will also be reinforced in the future by the launch of work aimed at improving the energy management of the buildings, in particular by combining the production of hot water and chilled water. The aim is to transfer heat, thereby saving energy and reducing CO2 emissions into the atmosphere. There’s no shortage of topics, and the Health, Safety & Environment and Infrastructure teams are always keen to develop new projects!

Thales, a strategy for a low-carbon future

In line with its values, its corporate social responsibility strategy and as part of a voluntary initiative, Thales is strengthening its commitment to a low-carbon future. This new strategy is based on three pillars

Reducing direct and product emissions

Thales aims to achieve an ambitious reduction in its greenhouse gas emissions by involving its entire value chain, with absolute targets in line with the 2°C trajectory:

A 40% reduction in direct operational emissions by 2030 (internal operations, staff mobility) with an intermediate point of 20% in 2023,
15% reduction in indirect emissions by 2030 (purchases, use of Thales equipment by customers) with an intermediate point of 7% in 2023.

Offering the Group’s customers innovative and eco-responsible functions and services to reduce their own greenhouse gas emissions

By developing intelligent traffic management solutions (rail, road, sea and air), leading to a reduction in emissions,
By optimising the energy efficiency of the digital world through the development of “low energy by design” solutions for digital data science, algorithms and artificial intelligence.

Contributing to a better understanding of climate phenomena, in particular through the development of dedicated space systems.

Dassault Aviation, for sustainable and optimised aviation

Sustainable aviation is based on the continued development of aircraft and engine technology, in a relentless quest to reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions. Thanks to their aerodynamic qualities and optimized weight, aircraft in the Falcon range have long been recognized as among the most fuel-efficient on the market.

Dassault Aviation is the business aviation representative on the European Clean Sky research project. The aircraft manufacturer is taking part in studies into the shape, life cycle and use of aircraft in order to develop innovations in on-board energy management, advanced aircraft control, drag reduction and pure eco-design.

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World Engineer Day 2020: a young alumni puts his engineering skills to work for the climate

Publication Date

04 March 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Alumni

Portrait

Presentation

Sustainability

As a 2017 ISAE-SUPAERO graduate, Maxime Efoui Hess has made defending the climate his personal and professional leitmotiv. Convinced that engineers have a major role to play in protecting the environment, the young graduate has taken the high road by joining The Shift Project, a public interest lobby working for a carbon-free economy. He believes that engineers have the necessary technical skills and a scientific vision capable of changing current economic and industrial models by taking account of environmental and social issues.

From conquering space to protecting the environment: a commitment to the climate

As a young high school graduate, Maxime Efoui Hess dreamed of working in space research. Amazed by the human adventure of the conquest of space, he joined ISAE-SUPAERO in 2013.

During his gap year, he began to think about how to include environmental issues in his professional life and drew parallels between the climate and space.

In these two fields, which seem to be poles apart, a closed ecosystem to which no new resources can be added is being studied. Above all, we become aware of the planet we live on and the damaging effects of global warming on it.

Indeed, who better than an astronaut to see the Earth as a whole and measure, from a distance, the impact of carbon constraints on its health?

In his 3rd year at ISAE-SUPAERO, the student chose to follow the ” Energy, Transport, Environment ” course offered by the Institute. It was during this course that Maxime discovered The Shift Project, a public interest lobby that advocates a scientific vision capable of providing solutions for engineering to free it from the carbon constraint. The Shift Project deals with concrete, physical problems, including technical skills and scientific analysis. Students are seduced and see a career path taking shape that is in line with their commitments.

So, at the end of his studies, Maxime joined the lobby to put his engineering skills at the service of the climate. The young graduate is certain of this: engineers have a role to play in every industrial project, integrating environmental concepts from the outset and reducing society’s ecological impact as far as possible.

Engineers must use their skills and global vision to change the current model

When Maxime joined The Shift Project, he didn’t follow the traditional route of a graduate from a top engineering school. And for good reason: he is convinced that engineers have a role to play in the ecological transition. Engineers have learned to take an overall view of the various stages in a project: from its inception to its final use, from the choice of components to their recycling.

Their role? To make the right decision by encompassing all the components, all the aspects, all the purposes. So even if a decision has no direct bearing on the climate at a given moment, it can nevertheless change everything. By contributing their technical and intellectual skills, engineers help to change a model. To change society’s model using the “engineer’s vision”, the grandes écoles have a role to play.

At the end of 2019, The Shift Project produced a report on the place of the environment and climate in higher education programmes. There is strong demand from students and lecturers to take environmental constraints into account when setting up research projects and training programmes. Higher education establishments are developing curricula in which the environment is a key priority, and are setting up numerous initiatives to raise awareness and train students in their role in defending the climate. All that remains is to add these initiatives to a systemic vision and prove to students that their skills are useful and even essential for changing the current model and adapting it to the climate challenges.

Students aware of environmental issues

As soon as they started their new academic year, the 1st year engineering students took part in a climate awareness day at the beginning of September.

Caroline BERARD, former Head of Engineering Programme, reminded the 220 new students that “ the aeronautics industry has met three challenges: making aircraft fly, making them safe and making them accessible to a wider public by lowering production costs. Now there’s a fourth, and it’s up to you to rise to it: designing carbon-free aircraft. The tone is set!

More than 80% of first-year students at ISAE-SUPAERO want to be trained in sustainable development.
To meet this demand, ISAE-SUPAERO is offering an “Energy Transition” module as part of the engineering curriculum. In 3rd year, students can choose “Energy, transport and environment ” as their field of application.

An “environmental engineering” certificate is also offered to all ISAE Group students.

Climate change a priority in higher education

In 2019, Olivier Lesbre, Managing Director, signed the manifesto issued by The Shift Project, a think tank working for a carbon-free economy. Recent work on the teaching of climate and energy issues in higher education has revealed a strong desire on the part of the higher education teaching community and students for an organised response to training on climate issues. More than 80 heads of higher education establishments and 1,000 teachers and researchers, leading a list of some 7,500 signatories, are calling on the government to “initiate a transition strategy for higher education that positions the climate as a top priority”.

ISAE-SUPAERO RESEARCH: major initiatives to invent the sustainable air transport of tomorrow

We are working on new air transport concepts through several research chairs

The Cedar Chair for Eco-Design of AiRcraft, created by Airbus 6 years ago, supports research into innovative concepts to prepare the next generation of transport aircraft.
The Safran-AEGIS Chair, launched in 2016, aims to reduce the environmental footprint (pollutant discharges and noise emissions) of aircraft propulsion by working on new engine and airframe integration formulas.
The Daher Chair, launched in 2019, to conduct research into the design and certification of light aircraft with hybrid-electric propulsion.

Investing and committing to training and research to meet the challenges of the energy transition

Publication Date

27 September 2019

Category

Institute

Tag

Aerospace

Sustainability

From awareness-raising to training

Students aware of environmental issues

Caroline BERARD, Director of Engineering Training, reminded the 220 first-year students that “the aeronautics industry has met three challenges: making aircraft fly, making them safe, and making them more accessible to the general public by lowering production costs. There is now a fourth challenge, and it will be up to you to meet it: designing carbon-free aircraft. The tone is set.

The aim of the climate fresk is to raise questions, raise awareness and get the pupils to interact in a situation of collective intelligence. The aim of this creative workshop is to find and explain, in three hours, the links of cause and effect between the 42 cards in the game, and to co-construct a real ‘Fresk’ of climate change.

This innovative teaching approach is part of #Larentréeclimat, a national initiative aimed at training 10,000 students from the grandes écoles in these issues. 80% of first-year students at ISAE-SUPAERO want to be trained in sustainable development.

To meet this demand, ISAE-SUPAERO offers an “Energy transition: what role for the engineer” module as part of the first and second year engineering curriculum . In 3rd year, students can choose the “Energy, transport and environment” module as their field of application.

To take this further, ISAE-SUPAERO’s OSE social outreach programme plans to extend the climate fresco workshop to 22 partner middle and high schools to raise awareness among younger students from the 2019/2020 school year.

Climate change a priority in higher education

More broadly, ISAE-SUPAERO, through its Managing Director Olivier Lesbre, has signed the manifesto issued by The Shift Project, a think tank working to promote a carbon-free economy. Its recent work on the teaching of climate and energy issues in higher education has revealed a strong desire on the part of the higher education community and students for an organised response to climate issues. More than 80 heads of higher education establishments and 1,000 teachers and researchers, leading a list of some 7,500 signatories, are calling on the government to “initiate a transition strategy for higher education that positions the climate as a top priority”.

Alumni get involved

The SUPAERO-DECARBO collective, made up of around twenty engineers who graduated in 2000 and 2001, questioned the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation about its role in the energy transition in the aeronautics industry. In response, the Foundation decided to make the environmental dimension part of its raison d’être by focusing on major issues that go far beyond the short term. “The Foundation works to develop the Institute’s influence and global leadership, by proposing and accelerating innovative projects that contribute to a sustainable world”.

Major initiatives for the air transport of tomorrow

With the help of the Foundation and aerospace manufacturers, several research chairs have been created at ISAE-SUPAERO in recent years to work on new concepts for high-quality air transport, while reducing their ecological footprint.

The Cedar Chair for Eco-Design of AiRcraft, created by Airbus 6 years ago, aims to define disruptive air transport concepts by introducing innovative technologies right from the aircraft design stage. Renewed at this year’s Paris Air Show, it takes up these major orientations by integrating a more global approach to environmental engineering.

In this way, the Chair is helping to raise awareness and train future aeronautical engineers in the sustainable development of air transport. It supports research into innovative concepts to prepare the next generation of transport aircraft.

This is also the aim of the Safran-AEGIS Chair launched in 2016, which aims to reduce the environmental footprint of aircraft propulsion by cutting pollutant and noise emissions. It is working on new engine and airframe integration formulas. From an economic point of view, fuel consumption is a key concern, but operability, maintenance and missions are also taken into account.
Launched in 2019, the Daher Chair aims to conduct research into the design and certification of light aircraft with hybrid-electric propulsion.

“ No student should be able to complete a higher education course without having understood the causes and consequences of climate change and worked on identifying possible solutions. “

Day-to-day initiatives on Campus

Creation of a Sustainable Development and Social Responsibility Unit (DDRS), comprising students, teachers, lecturers and staff.
Its purpose is to work on projects, studies and events relating to sustainable development and social responsibility.

Training ISAE-SUPAERO students in animation, to use the Fresque du Climat as a collaborative tool to raise awareness among middle and high schools (In collaboration with OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO).

A zero waste hostel, student associations involved (SUPAERO for Earth)
The institute’s participation in the European Week for Waste Reduction, air quality, mobility and the promotion of student initiatives.
Innovation and creativity project on sustainable development, ecological vegetable garden, installation of beehives, recycling, etc.
Mobility plan, participation in sustainable development week, the “Allons y a vélo” event, car pooling, etc.