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

Publication Date

16 February 2021

Category

Institute

Tag

Aerospace

Event

Sustainability

The aim of this webinar, organised by the Académie de l’Air et de l’Espace, is to take an independent look at the issue of reducing the carbon footprint of air transport and the means of doing so.

For two days, it will bring together climatologists, experts from the various industrial sectors concerned (energy, aeronautics, transport, etc.), as well as sociologists and economists from various countries.

As well as professionals and politicians, the conference is aimed at a wide audience, particularly the younger generation, whose highly committed representatives will be taking part in the debates.
The first round table will be chaired by Olivier DEL BUCCHIA, co-founder of SUPAERO-DECARBO, and will be attended by Apolline RIET, an ISAE-SUPAERO student and President of the SUPAERO for Earth association.

You can download the programme for this webinar here and choose the sessions you wish to attend. Amphitheatre 3 is reserved on 11 and 12 March from 8.45am to 6pm and amphitheatres 1 and 2 are reserved for this occasion on 11 March from 1pm to 7pm. Admission is free for staff and students subject to availability and the constraints of current health regulations...

To find out more about the aims of the conference: https://academieairespace.com

To download the programme for the webinar “Air transport in crisis and the climate challenge: towards new paradigms”: https://academieairespace.com

Enjoy the webinar!

ISAE-SUPAERO launches “Horizons”, its new Sustainable Development strategy

Publication Date

05 February 2021

Category

Institute

Tag

ISAE Group

Sustainability

Horizons

Their massive and unprecedented mobilisation encouraged ISAE-SUPAERO to go further in its reflections on its contribution to this transition. Over the course of a year, several working groups, students, teacher-researchers, industrial partners and governance bodies were mobilised to examine in greater depth and reformulate the Institute’s strategic commitment to sustainable development.

To ensure that ISAE-SUPAERO plays its role within the aerospace sector, by assuming its responsibility to prepare for the future and anticipate the necessary transformations.
To meet the expectations of current and future students, as well as those of the Institute’s employees
To remain true to its history and its motto “excellence with passion”, by training engineers who will be at the forefront of the transformation of the aerospace sector.

ISAE-SUPAERO is therefore committed to mobilising its teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of a sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transport of tomorrow. This commitment is set out in a renewed Sustainable Development strategy: HORIZONS.

The aim of this approach is threefold:

– To make the Institute a committed player in the sustainability of aeronautical mobility and the space sector, by training the engineers and managers who will take up this challenge, and by directing our research and innovation activities in this direction.
– Giving future graduates the keys to contributing to the public debate on the energy transition and a sustainable society, based on the scientific approach and their ability to master complex systems.
– Continue to reduce the carbon footprint of our activities and campus.

The deployment of this strategy should also be an opportunity to unite a community around an ambitious collective project that is vital for the future. ISAE-SUPAERO is making a lasting commitment to new horizons!

HORIZONS

HORIZONS: the Institute's new Sustainable Development strategy

Why this choice? Here's how.

As part of the deployment of its new Sustainable Development strategy, the Institut is committed to mobilising its teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of a sustainable society. One of the aims of this new HORIZONS strategy is to invent the low-carbon air transport of the future.

The choice was made using a detailed collaborative methodology, bringing together a large number of players both inside and outside the school. A survey was first carried out in June 2020 among all staff and students to gather initial ideas. Two creativity workshops were then organised for students and staff motivated by the subject of Sustainable Development.

At the end of these discussions, more than 100 proposals were made and 6 were selected to enable the Executive Committee to validate the final choice.

HORIZONS: looking further ahead**

The choice fell on the name "HORIZONS". It's not an insignificant plural, since it offers the possibility of seeing far and wide, of projecting ourselves into inspiring possibilities that have yet to be invented, so that we can collectively commit ourselves to new horizons in favour of sustainable development. HORIZONS is as easy to understand in French as it is in English, and is designed to have an impact and be easy to memorise for smooth communication on the subject.

A wink: the artificial horizon is also the on-board instrument that measures an aircraft's attitude in relation to the horizon, a reference to our historical roots to steer us smoothly towards the ambition that is our renewed sustainable development strategy!

Let’s make together a durable commitment to new horizons

Publication Date

28 January 2021

Category

Institute

Tag

Aeronautics

Horizons

Sustainability

Teacher researcher

Engineers must take part in public debate and exercise their role as citizen-engineers

It is the job of engineers to bridge the gap between science and society, using science to take concrete action in society. Their role is crucial in addressing the complexity of these challenges by proposing solutions that are ambitious, scientifically sound and socially acceptable. Engineers have a voice to be heard, yet they are all too rarely heard in public debate.

Higher education and research are major levers in the transition to a sustainable society. In recent years, our students’ awareness of climate issues has become very high, as shown by their growing participation in the dedicated training modules that we have set up over the last ten years. Their massive and unprecedented involvement encourages us to think even more deeply about our contribution to this transition.

A leading engineering school such as ours remains fundamentally attached to the notion of progress developed in the Age of Enlightenment. We believe that advances in science should enable humanity to gradually take control of its own destiny, provided it makes good use of them. And we are aware that we have a special role to play in this, by contributing through our research to the advancement of knowledge, and above all by training young engineers to make the best use of it. We are firmly committed to this.

The ecological transition is the major challenge facing the aeronautics sector

The history of aeronautics and space is that of a pioneering industry that has made one of mankind’s oldest dreams come true. Crossing the Atlantic in an aeroplane or sending a human being to the Moon: over the last century, aerospace engineers have repeatedly shown that they are capable of doing what many thought was impossible. They can help to do the same for the challenge of ecological transition.

They have already made a major contribution to the diagnosis of the situation: it was thanks to balloons and aeroplanes that the science of the atmosphere was first developed; more recently, it is thanks to the observation satellites put into orbit over the last few decades that it has been possible, for the first time in human history, to measure the state of the atmosphere and the oceans over the entire surface of the globe. Without this, it would have been impossible to understand the phenomena and validate the scientific models of global warming. Now they have to work hard to reduce greenhouse gas emissions to zero, starting in their own field, which is not the easiest.

In barely 100 years, aeronautical engineers have invented, made safe and democratised air transport. We are no longer surprised by this, but isn’t it extraordinary that today it is faster, more comfortable, safer and cheaper to take the plane than the car or the train, when you want to cover distances of more than 1,000 km? The energy efficiency of air transport has made equally impressive progress. But that’s not enough. Having invented, secured and democratised air transport, we now need to decarbonise it. This is a new issue, a new challenge, just as ambitious as the previous ones: we need to invent new aircraft, using all the technological resources and creativity of our engineers.

The technological avenues have been identified: energy sources, materials, structure, aerodynamics, engines, etc. There is a considerable amount of work to be done to bring all these technologies to maturity and bring them up to the level of reliability and safety required for air transport. This is the job of a new generation of engineers, who will have to invent new aircraft that are carbon-free and as reliable and competitive as ever, based on the latest scientific advances: it’s a fabulous challenge for the decades to come.

ISAE-SUPAERO is making a long-term commitment today

The training model of France’s leading engineering schools combines high scientific standards, a broad multidisciplinary approach and a commitment to business and society. Our students are destined to become key players in the ecological transition.
The pioneering spirit and potential for innovation that are in the DNA of aeronautical engineers, and in particular those at ISAE-SUPAERO, encourage us to go even further.

Over the past year, we have mobilised a number of working groups, students, teaching and research staff, industrial partners and governance bodies to examine in greater depth and reformulate our strategic commitment to sustainable development. Together, we have faced up to this formidable challenge, and we are convinced that it also represents a tremendous opportunity for our students. We are convinced that it is possible to transform the aerospace sector over the coming decades to make it a major component of a sustainable society. Space will play an increasingly important role in monitoring the state of our planet, and air transport can be decarbonised, so that it can continue to meet the long-distance transport needs of future generations without impacting on the climate.

We have a duty to commit to this without delay:

To play our role within the aerospace sector, by assuming our responsibility to prepare for the future and anticipate the necessary transformations;
To meet the expectations of our current and future students and employees;
To remain true to our history and our motto “excellence with a passion”, by training engineers who will be at the forefront of the transformation of the aerospace sector.

We have therefore made a commitment to mobilise our teaching skills and scientific expertise to help build the aeronautical and space components of a sustainable society, and in particular to invent the low-carbon air transport of the future. We are implementing this commitment through a renewed Sustainable Development strategy: HORIZONS.

The aim of this approach is threefold:

To make the Institute a committed player in the sustainability of aeronautical mobility and the space sector, by training the engineers and managers who will take up this challenge, and by directing our research and innovation activities in this direction;
Giving our future graduates the keys to contributing to the public debate on the energy transition and a sustainable society, by drawing on the scientific approach and their ability to master complex systems;
Continue to reduce the carbon footprint of our activities and our campus.

Since 1909, ISAE-SUPAERO has been training systems engineers, with a global approach, who contribute, through their excellence, to the emergence of solutions, capable of solving major problems and making a positive commitment to the future of society. We train critical thinkers who are aware of changes in the world and of the fact that science and technology are at the heart of major societal issues.

The aeronautics industry is undergoing constant change, and today it needs to rethink, transform and reinvent itself. It will need new visions, different and emerging skills. ISAE-SUPAERO has a role to play in this adventure by preparing our graduates to transform and reinvent the aeronautics and space sector of the future and to invest in major pioneering projects as they have done since the beginning of the 20th century, and by contributing to research in this area.

The deployment of this strategy should also be an opportunity to unite our community around an ambitious collective project that is vital for the future. Together, we can make a lasting commitment to new horizons!

Olivier Lesbre
President of ISAE-SUPAERO (2014-2024)

Corentin Lefloch, an engineering student, wins first prize at the USAIRE STUDENT AWARDS for his ideas on the future of aviation

Publication Date

11 December 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Prize

Sustainability

“We set out to consider air transport as a whole, to take stock of this complex industry with its incredible variety of players, and to research the current prospects for air transport in order to propose an implementable solution to meet the climate challenges”, Corentin points out.

Their report, entitled “Innovating and renewing: a flight plan for a sustainable aviation industry”, presents a technological analysis of the sector and develops proposals for innovative economic, institutional and legal reforms to meet the climate challenge from a new angle.

In it, they discuss an overhaul of the way the aeronautics industry is organised, based on sustainable technological innovation, international cooperation and a fair distribution of intellectual property and economic and social benefits across the value chain.

Reform on an international scale

In their view, the industry needs to focus not only on new technologies, but also on its institutions, in order to meet the commitments of the ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization) to halve its CO2 emissions by 2050 compared with 2005.
Improving aircraft structures and engines, or using drop-in alternative fuels, will not be enough. The students suggest the creation of an “International Council for Sustainable Aviation” to set guidelines for airlines on a global scale, or the introduction of “transition bonds”, systems for financing innovative low-CO2 emission projects, which are just as important in establishing sustainable aviation.

In concluding their manifesto, they state that the success of air transport in the future cannot be summed up in a simple technological solution, and that international institutions will also have to be reinvented to enable the emergence and development of fully sustainable aviation.

“I am convinced that the collective awareness of the climate challenges is a tremendous opportunity to rethink the world of tomorrow. The aviation industry has a lot to do to integrate environmental issues and reinvent itself. I’d like to be part of these changes and be able to propose solutions”, explains Corentin.

A clear path

With a lifelong passion for aeronautics, Corentin Lefloch joined ISAE-SUPAERO after a preparatory class for the “Grandes Écoles”. He then went on to do a double-diploma with Sciences Po Paris, in a Masters in Finance and Strategy. He is convinced of the need to combine this knowledge with engineering to develop a detailed understanding of the aeronautics industry, in order to play an active part in its future development. He is currently in his final year of the engineering curriculum, specialising in decision data sciences.

It was during this double degree at Sciences Po Paris that he met Florian Gandon, a glider pilot and aviation enthusiast, who is convinced that finance and public affairs are two pillars of this strategic and capital-intensive industry. After completing his Master’s degree and gaining experience at Airbus and other companies, he became a trainee private equity analyst at Ace Management, the company that manages the €1 billion recovery fund for the aerospace industry, financed by Airbus, Safran, Dassault Aviation, Thales, Tikehau Capital and the French government.

This USAIRE jury-awarded pair got involved very early on to develop their own thinking on the future of air transport and its ecological transition, “be green, keep flying”, in the midst of the health crisis, at a time when the vast majority of aircraft were grounded, while aid to support the sector was conditional on environmental commitments.
For the past 15 years, the USAIRE association has organised the USAIRE Student Awards, an international competition recognised by industry professionals and sponsored by aerospace leaders such as Rolls-Royce, Boeing and Airbus.

The project for an unmanned, zero-emission aircraft to cross the South Atlantic

Publication Date

20 October 2020

Category

Institute

Tag

Innovation

Researcher

Sustainability

Presentation of the Drone Mermoz project

An exploratory project

Faced with the physical limits imposed by battery-powered electric flight, a team of researchers and students led by Professor Jean-Marc Moschetta is working on the design of a small unmanned aircraft with electric propulsion and no greenhouse gas emissions during flight.

“ It ‘s an exploratory project that is completely in line with the breakthrough technologies needed for aeronautics,” explains the specialist who leads the Institute’s research into drones.

Launched at the start of the year, the experimentation phase will see the creation of a 4-metre demonstrator to test and validate all the technological building blocks in flight. The initial design of the drone is currently taking shape, and its aerodynamics are being finely tuned to give it all the capabilities and qualities needed to cover a distance of more than 3,000 kilometres.

Liquid hydrogen: a clean alternative

ISAE-SUPAERO is working with H3 Dynamics, a company that manufactures and markets hydrogen fuel cells. Through the work of its subsidiary HES Energy Systems, the company is developing cutting-edge expertise in the manufacture and integration of hydrogen energy systems for robotic and airborne applications. The use of a hydrogen fuel cell enables a totally electric propulsion chain to be used, since the hydrogen, stored in gaseous or liquid form, is transformed into electricity. This technology has been extensively tested in flight for several years. The choice of storage method depends on the mission profile.

A real technological breakthrough, the use of liquid hydrogen aims to solve the problem of the low energy density of the lithium batteries used in conventional UAVs, which severely limit the range of aircraft in flight. Electric propulsion with liquid hydrogen storage would provide more than 6 times more energy per unit of mass than conventional battery electric propulsion, while emitting only water vapour during flight.

A drone in the footsteps of Mermoz

The researchers want to show that a crossing of the South Atlantic from Senegal to Brazil, in the footsteps of Jean Mermoz, is possible with an unmanned aircraft system powered by a hydrogen fuel cell and capable of flying very long distances. The project also incorporates a weight constraint: to be light enough to fall within the French certification category for flying out of sight. That’s the target for 2023! A second major objective is being pursued: “Mermoz” could represent the first tangible building block of tomorrow’s low-carbon aviation.

This project is supported by the Occitanie Region and the European Regional Development Fund (ERDF), as well as by the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation, which, thanks to donors to the Class Gift Inter-Promotions, has raised funds to contribute to the purchase of equipment to fly the demonstrator. Further fund-raising efforts are still required to complete all the activities.

Two teacher-researchers publish a book on drones

Introduction to the control of mini-UAVs: from design to implementation - Modelling, identification and synthesis of control laws.

Author(s): Bordeneuve-Guibé Joël (ISAE-SUPAERO), Brière Yves (ISAE-SUPAERO), Condomines Jean-Philippe, Miquel Thierry - Editions Ellipses

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.

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.