Excellence with passion isae-supaero.fr Annual Report 2023
ISAE-SUPAERO’smission is to train highly scientific, humanistic, and innovative engineers who can master the complex challenges of tomorrow’s world. Our aim is to keep Europe’s aerospace industry and research, both civil and military, at the world’s cutting edge. In this way, we are contributing to French and European sovereignty, as well as to the progress of humanity. ISAE-SUPAERO : 10, avenue Edouard Belin - BP 54032 - 31055 Toulouse Cedex 4 - France • Photo credits: ISAE-SUPAERO, Olivier Panier des Touches, Aude Lemarchand, Louis Derigon • Graphic design & production: la ruelle / www.la-ruelle.fr - Printing: Equinox This report is printed on responsibly sourced paper - July 2024 p. 2 p. 4 p. 5 p. 6 p. 14 p. 20 p. 28 p. 34 p. 36 p. 38 p. 40 p. 41 p. 42 p. 43 9 13 2 33 2023 Key Figures Editorial by Marwan Lahoud Editorial by Olivier Lesbre Our Highlights Education Research Innovation International Relations Corporate and Alumni Relations Business Institutional Relations ISAE Group ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation ISAE-SUPAERO ENSICA Alumni Institut Supérieur de l’Aéronautique et de l’Espace ISAE-SUPAERO OUR ECOSYSTEMS OUR PILLARS LOOKING BACK ON 2023 OUR COMMITMENTS 1 2 3 4 3 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2023 Key Figures EDUCATION 2023 BUDGET HUMAN RESOURCES 1897 students 65 nationalities represented on the campus €41,5M subsidies for public service expenses 124 faculty and researchers 637 staff 110 student clubs and associations €12M in order intakes in the research sector €72M in expenses of which €9M are in investments €68,5M in revenue ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2
ince my appointment as Chairman of the Board of ISAE-SUPAERO in June 2023 I have had the privilege of observing up close the formidable energy that drives our Institute. This 2023 Annual Report is an eloquent testimony to this, with many significant advances in our three core activities: education, research, and innovation. I would like to give thanks to my predecessors for setting the stage for these successes and to the Institute’s teams for their unwavering commitment. ISAE-SUPAERO is now a key player in the French aerospace ecosystem which is at the cutting edge of the world’s aerospace industry. The ambitious strategy set out in our 2022–26 Objectives and Performance Contract is more relevant than ever. The Institute must continue to evolve to strengthen its position as a global leader for higher education in aerospace engineering, faced with international competition that intensifies fromyear to year. In this context, the development and consolidation of key partnerships are major challenges facing us in the coming years. Together with the Board of Directors, I am proud of the achievements of ISAE-SUPAERO and confident in our collective ability to meet the challenges ahead of us. Together,wewill continue to shape the futureof aeronautics and space by training its future engineers, so that they carry the Institute’s motto high: Excellence with Passion! EDITORIAL Marwan Lahoud Chairman of the Board EDITORIAL Olivier Lesbre President S ‘This 2023 annual report is an eloquent testimony to the dynamics driving the Institute, with many significant advances in our three core activities: education, research, and innovation. I want to give thanks to my predecessors for laying the foundations for these successes and the Institute’s teams for their unwavering commitment.’ Marwan Lahoud Chairman of the Board s this activity report shows, 2023 was a busy year for our Institute. Education, research, innovation, partnerships, organisation, and processes – we progressed in all these areas, with some great successes to show for it! Last year, we reviewed our organisation and celebrated the selection of three of our alumni to the next cohort of European astronauts. This year we have made a lot of progress. As for our educational activities, at the core of our mission, many indicators have attained unprecedented levels: internationalisation, gender parity, social diversity, professional inclusion, etc.We launched theAcadémie Spatiale deDéfense (Space Academy of Defence) with our colleagues from the École de l’Air et de l’Espace (French Air Force and Space Academy) and the Commandement de l’Espace (French Space Command) and the first students graduated from our Industrial Engineering Apprenticeship programme. We finalised our reorganisation, launched our remote Advanced Master’s programme with ENAC dedicated to the ecological transition of the aviation sector, and started the process of deploying a skills-based approach across all our curricula. In terms of research, 2023 was just as successful. Our order intake reached a new peak value of €12 million, with eight European projects. The success of the first flight of our Mermoz hydrogen drone project and the awarding of the ERC Consolidator Grant to Naomi Murdoch highlights the excellence and renown of our research activities. We have also worked with our colleagues from ENAC and ONERA to boost the activity and visibility of our Joint Research Federation. But it is probably on the innovation side, the newest pillar of our activities, that we have seen the most spectacular developments. Our InnovSpace facility has been rapidly gathering speed and hosted nine startups this year. Outside of the campus, there are three startups founded by our graduates – Exotec (Romain Moulin), Verkor (Benoît Lemaignan) and Loft Orbital (Pierre-Damien Vaujour) – among the forty deemed most promising by the Ministry of Economy on the ‘French Tech Next40’ list, two of which are also the first two French engineering startups worth over $1 billion, earning the rare ‘unicorn’ moniker. Together with our ENAC colleagues, we have established the first joint strategic discussions with the prospect of forming a joint laboratory in 2026 to bring together all Toulouse aerospace engineering research teams under a single banner. Finally, we continued to improve our processes, our tools, andour campus –alongwith theendof theenergyrenovation projects launched in 2021. I would like to thank all our stakeholders: students, teachers, staff, mentors, and industrial and academic partners for their constant commitment and support. Together, we will continueourmission: totrainhigh-level scientific, humanistic, and innovative engineers capable of mastering the complexities and aerospace challenges of tomorrow’s world! ‘It’s probably on the innovation side, the newest pillar of our activities, that we have see the most spectacular developments: our InnovSpace facility has been rapidly gathering speed and hosted nine startups this year and, outside of the campus, there are three startups founded by our graduates that have qualified for the French Tech Next40 support programme.’ Olivier Lesbre President A 5 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 4
Our highlights in 2023 JANUARY 2023 Decarbonised Aviation: the Mermoz Drone Makes its First Flight FEBRUARY 2023 The Lanceur d’Étoiles System Now Officially Unveiled FEBRUARY 2023 Three Startups Founded by ISAE-SUPAEROGraduates in the Top 40 Most Promising French Startups The first hydrogen gas drone demonstrator, developed by ISAE-SUPAERO in partnership with H3 DYNAMICS, successfully carried out its first radio-controlled flight on the runway of the Muret aeromodelling club in January! This marks an important milestone in the development of this lightweight, fully autonomous, and CO2-free electric drone. The project was initiated in 2018 by a team of ISAE-SUPAERO researchers led by Professor Jean-Marc Moschetta. The goal is to demonstrate the feasibility and reliability of this electric aircraft powered by an energy unit that combines a fuel cell and solar panels, capable of flying over very long distances while being light enough to come under the French Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) flight certification category. The next key step in the project is to develop a liquid hydrogen version of the drone. Scan the QR code towatch a video of the first flight of theMermoz drone The Lanceur d’Étoiles (Star Launcher) system, created in part by ISAE-SUPAERO, was publicly launched inMarch2023. This consortiumaims topromote the emergence and development of deep tech startups in the aeronautics, space, and defence sectors in the Académie de Toulouse region. It offers the selected startups free and tailored support for 3 to 18 months to boost their project. ISAE-SUPAERO plays a major role in this, as six of the seven startups supported in 2022 originated from the Institute. Scan to visit the Lanceur d’Étoiles web page The 2023 French Tech Next40 selection, which rewards startups considered to be the most promising by the Ministry of Economy, was announced on February 20. These include three deep tech startups founded and run by ISAE-SUPAERO graduates: Exotec (Romain Moulin, pictured on the left with his co-founder), Verkor (Benoît Lemaignan), and Loft Orbital (Pierre-Damien Vaujour). The first two are also considered to be ‘French unicorns.’ Launched in 2019, the French Tech Next40 programme encourages the emergence of world-class tech leaders, allowing them to benefit from stronger support from the government. Scan to read the testimonial of Pierre-Damien Vaujour, founder of Loft Orbital JUNE 2023 At the Paris Air Show, the ‘Académie Spatiale de Défense’ Becomes a Reality The partnership agreement between ISAE-SUPAERO, the Commandement de l’Espace (CDE) and the École de l’Air et de l’Espace (EAE), establishing the Académie Spatiale de Défense (ASD), was signed on Wednesday June 21 at the Paris Air Show. This partnership between the three entities enables joint coherent training to be offered in the space sector, covering both academic and operational aspects. The ASD will play a major role in the creation of a space defence expertise sector, providing targeted, high-level, recognised qualifications, with courses ranging from short job adaptation courses to diploma or qualification courses at the engineering schools under the supervision of theMinistry of Defence. MARCH 2023 Astronauts Sophie Adenot and Arnaud Prost Return to ISAE-SUPAERO Sophie Adenot and Arnaud Prost, two of the three ISAE-SUPAERO alumni selected to the 2022 European Space Agency Astronaut Group, returned to the campus of their alma mater on March 9. Accompanied by Claudie Haigneré, ESA astronaut and formerMinisterDelegate for Research andNewTechnologies, andDidier Schmitt, Head of the Strategy and Coordination Group for Robotic and Human Exploration at ESA, they met students and staff of the Institute, as well as high school students who are part of the OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO initiative. Our Institute is proud of their inspiring journey and commitment to our current students! Scan to watch Sophie Adenot’s video testimonial 5th most sought-after engineering school according to the 2023 Generation Prépa ranking, which is based on five indicators: the school’s competitive examination, its average rank, the number of applications, places, and enrolled students (SCEI data). 8th cengineering school in terms of academic excellence, international openness, and employability In October 2023 Le Figaro Étudiant published its ranking of engineering schools. Assessed according to criteria of academic excellence, international openness, and professional success of graduates, the Institute remains firmly anchored in the top 10. Top 1% globally for graduate employability In 2023, ISAE-SUPAERO rose to the 180th position out of 20,531 establishments in the ‘Centre for World University’s Global 2,000 List,’ confirming its ability to train the best engineers—those who will build the world of tomorrow. 7 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 6
ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 our commitments Faced with the environmental and social challenges of the 21st Century, higher education and research are major levers in the transition towards a sustainable society. At ISAE-SUPAERO, we have made these issues central to our commitments. 2 photo ouverture JULY 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO Makes its Voice Heard at the Assises du NewSpace NOVEMBER 2023 Eight ISAE-SUPAERO Researchers Among theWorld’s Top 2%Most Influential Scientists NOVEMBER 2023 An Exceptional Grant for the GRAVITE Project From July 5 to 6, ISAE-SUPAERO participated in the second Assises du NewSpace event, which is of interest to all stakeholders in the French space ecosystem. Olivier Lesbre, President of the Institute, had the opportunity to talk about the school’s vision, and more generally that of a higher education institution, in terms of the academic and research aspects relating to NewSpace. Stéphanie Lizy-Destrez, a Professor in the Department of Aerospace Vehicle Design and Control (DCAS) at ISAE-SUPAERO, spoke about ‘Spatial Innovation for Space’ and the Spaceflight Institute. The Assises du NewSpace was created in 2022 by a group of stakeholders in the space sector and provides a unique opportunity to discuss and debate about the NewSpace economy, as well as to discover the latest technological innovations and project financing opportunities. Within the group the Institute is concerned with the academic and advanced engineering education issues. Naomi Murdoch, Physics and Planetology Researcher at ISAE-SUPAERO, received the prestigious European Research Council (ERC) Consolidator Scholarship for her planetary body study project entitled GRAVITE. This ambitious scientific project aims to design a variable gravity machine that will enable extraterrestrial soils to be simulated and studied. Read more about this project on p. 22 Stanford University has published an updated list of the world’s top 2% most influential scientists, including eight ISAE-SUPAERO professors. Considered the most prestigious in the world, this ranking is based on the Scopus database, created to provide up-to-date analysis and a public list of top scientists. Among the eight are: Statistical signal and network processing, with the main applications being in the field of radar Mechanics of aeronautical structures and materials, in particular the scaling of composite structures Neuroergonomics, human factors, IT, and signal processing Digital mechanics of sustainable aerostructures Image sensors Fluid dynamics Aerodynamics Artificial intelligence and imaging Olivier Besson Christophe Bouvet Frédéric Dehais Christian Gogu Pierre Magnan Thierry Jardin Jean-Marc Moschetta Thomas Oberlin 9 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 8
Major Breakthroughs in ISAE-SUPAERO/ENAC Collaboration In the context of rapidly changing higher education, ENAC and ISAE-SUPAERO share the desire to strengthen their international presence and visibility. To this end, the two schools launched a joint strategic study at the beginning of 2022. Its purpose is to analyse the possible means and impacts of bringing all or part of their research and educational activities together under a shared academic brand without this leading to an organisational merger or a change in the schools’ current respective scopes. For the past twoyears, workgroupsmade up of pairs comprising onemember from each institution and accompanied by a project team and an external consultancy firm have been reflecting on each theme. The proposals from each work phase are presented and validated by each university’s Board of Directors. In 2023, the reflections were structured around five themes: research, marketing and international activities, education, innovation and entrepreneurship, and campus and student life. The approaches chosen were the creation of a joint research laboratory without a legal personality and the consolidation of other activities within a structure bearing a common brand. Work on the legal nature of this structure, its scope of activity and the procedures for setting it up, such as those for the joint laboratory, started at the end of 2023 and will continue into 2024. ISAE-SUPAERO is Committed to Obtaining the DDRS Label In 2023, ISAE-SUPAERO launched the project to obtain theDDRS (SustainableDevelopment and Social Responsibility) Label, which rewards and acknowledges the efforts made by both French and foreign higher education and research institutions in this area. This project is part of the Institute’s long-standing commitment to these issues, in particular through theHorizons roadmap and several plans and charters. A cross-departmental project team was set up and met several times during 2023 to work on the application submission planned for the first quarter of 2024, with a roadmap to obtaining the label by the end of 2024. Energy Renovation Work Completed An Ambitious Procurement Policy In terms of purchases, 2023 was marked by several pivotal elements: • The advent of a new, ambitious procurement policy, based on advancing the procurement culture for all, and aimed at further reducing the Institute’s carbon footprint. • The second ‘supplier speed dating’ event organised with ENAC and CNRS, which brought together 78 suppliers and kickstarted a total of 120 meetings. • Strategic procurement operations: €100,000 excluding tax was obtained from the State Procurement Department’s innovation fund for the purchase of an aerodynamic phenomena measurement system (one of 20 appl ications from all over France selected by the innovation fund in 2023). • Successful negotiations carried out through a purchasing agency grouping eight institutions for the purchase of Dassault 3Dx licences resulted in a 70% saving on the cost of licences for the next four years. This year marked the end of a year of building improvement and energy renovation work supported by France Relance, with the reopening of the swimming pool and gym at the beginning of February 2023. Among other things, both facilities are now outfitted with thermal solar panels to produce hot water for a renovated and more efficient environment. The new sports complex was inaugurated on March 16, 2023. This year also saw the first benefits from lower energy consumption resulting from the energy renovation of the premises andwas marked by the production of 204MWh of renewable energy on the campus, i.e., the equivalent of one year’s consumption of 17 four-person households. ISAE-SUPAERO received the Happy At School label in 2023, which is awarded to schools offering thebest student experience. This ChooseMyCompany label is based exclusively on student opinions obtained through an anonymous questionnaire, which guarantees its impartiality and independence. The opinions collected underscore the high quality of the professional experience offered by ISAE-SUPAERO and thewealth of opportunities for student life on our campus. 81% believe that the Institute enables them to join companies they are interested in 86,5% think they will find a job that matches their hopes, values and skills after they graduate 81,6% say the facilities available on campus are consistent with the school’s ambitions 90% feel that their student lives are enriched by numerous extracurricular activities 92% of students feel that their diploma is recognised by employers And Also ... • The 2021–2026 Multi-Year Real Estate Strategy Plan has been validated and will provide the framework for future real estate work. • The Institute’s information system security policy (ISSP) has been updated following technical and operational cybersecurity audits by France Relance. • The amendment to the residences contract freed up €1.2 million which was then allocated to the programme to increase the appeal of the residences and help keep the ISAE-SUPAERO campus at the highest global level. A Label for Student Life Experience 10 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 11 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
3 photo ouverture To train the best engineers and scientific executives, who will become the leaders of both the aerospace industry and the world of tomorrow, our Institute has structured its organisation around three pillars: education, research, and innovation. our pillars p. 14 p. 20 p. 28 EDUCATION RESEARCH INNOVATION ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 In 2023... ‘Campus au féminin’ 30 partner schools (15 junior high schools, 14 senior high schools, 1 ESAT) 1,000 young people supported 5 events organised on campus 150 ISAE-SUPAERO students, 30 alumni, 50 staff members invested in the programme, 40 alumni participating on an ad hoc basis 35 scientific, technical, cultural and sports projects 270 female high school students supported in one year This programme, run byOSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO, aims to create a special bond between high school girls and female ISAE-SUPAERO students, in order to raise their awareness of science careers and to combat stereotypes regarding them. It also seeks to help schools develop action andmobilisation capabilities. More than 270 high school students were supported during the 2023–2024 school year, with an especially strong partnership with Airbus. The Campus au féminin (‘Campus forWomen’) event includes meetings and workshops between one female student, a female engineer, and a group of female high school students, and ends with a company tour and the recording of a podcast about engineering careers. An Award for International Student Reception OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO, Committed to Equal Opportunities Since 2006 Every year, the ISAE-SUPAERO campus welcomes international students which make up 40% of the student population. To facilitate their integration and academic experience in France, the Institute implements numerous actions throughout the year. Campus France has rewarded these efforts by awarding the school the three-star ‘Bienvenue en France’ label for the second year in a row. This label is awarded to French higher education institutions that have developed top quality reception facilities for international students. It is used to certify the quality and accessibility of information, student integration facilities, the study programmes, teaching support, housing, quality of life on campus, and post-graduate outcomes. ISAE-SUPAERO is one of the 153 establishments with the ‘Bienvenue en France’ label and is among the 22% of these, which have obtained the three-star label to date. Created 17 years ago, the OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO equal opportunities programmes are mainly financed by public authorities and GIFAS. It was given the Cordée de la Réussite label in 2009 and seeks to promote access to higher scientific education for young girls and disadvantaged communities, by providing enrichment opportunities. This programme by the Institute has been supported by the ISAE-SUPAERO Foundation since 2015. Its activities include: • mentoring and academic support for high school students, • scientific, technical, sports and cultural workshops for high school students, • higher education discovery activities through visits to campus, • higher education information and guidance, • bonding weekends combining mentoring, oral expression exercises, and sports activities. 13 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 12
810 40,7% students admitted in 2023 international students n September 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO had 1,897 students enrolled in all programmes, including 810 new students. The Institute therefore maintains its student enrolment goals, while ensuring teaching quality. This is an opportunity to highlight the commitment and scientific prowess of our professors, who are keen to train engineers who will be renowned for their knowledge, intellectual agility, and savoir-faire. The ISAE-SUPAERO Ingénieur programme (MSc) is still one of the top five most sought-after programmes by French students who have taken the competitive examinations for the major French engineering schools. The proportion of students choosing to study at ISAE-SUPAERO because they are pursuing job opportunities in the aerospace sector has remained constant and is in the region of 50%. Established in 2020, the ISAE Group’s Industrial Engineering Apprenticeship Programme has experienced great success, welcoming 30 newapprentices at the start of 2023. It is now fully deployed in the Group’s two other schools involved in this collaborative programme. Open to French and international applicants with a bachelor’s or master’s degree, the Master of Aerospace Engineering (MAE) and Advanced Master’s degrees host students from 57 different countries. The high percentage of international students on campus (40%) offers all students the opportunity to develop intercultural awareness that is necessary and essential in a constantly changing socioeconomic climate. Of these students, 24% have scholarships. The OSE inGÉ programme, launched in September 2022 in collaboration with the OSE l’ISAE-SUPAERO team, aims to support youngwomen and scholarship holders in preparing for the scientific Grandes Écoles entrance examinations, by helping them believe in theirownpotential.Witha21.7%femaleenrolment overall, gender representation at ISAE-SUPAERO is gradually becoming more balanced, and we will continue toencourage this trend.TheMAEprogramme leads the way, with 35% of the class of 2023–2024 being female. ‘The ISAE-SUPAERO Ingénieur programme is still one of the top five most sought-after courses by French students who have taken the competitive examinations for the major French engineering schools. The proportion of students choosing to study at ISAE-SUPAERO because they are pursuing job opportunities in the aerospace sector has remained constant and is in the region of 50%.’ Pascale Rigaud Dean of Studies I 14 15 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 The Education PILLAR ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
The New Directorate of Education is Up and Running In 2022, the Directorate of Engineering Education and the Directorate of Master’s and Advanced Master’s Education were combined to form a single entity. 2023 was the start of the first year for the new Directorate of Education and comprises three main departments: Close collaboration with all programme heads ensures that the decisions made are always aligned. In-depth work was undertaken at the beginning of 2023 on the profile of tomorrow’s engineer to remain in line with the expectations of professionals and society. With regard to Master’s and Advanced Master’s students, the recommendations from the pedagogical boards continuously enable developments in the programmes to ensure constant top quality professional integration. The success of the Institute’s MOOCs (‘Massive Open Online Courses’) continues! With 10,800 international learners (mainly from India, the US, and Europe), the seven English courses on aeronautics and space developed by the Institute and placed online on COURSERA, the world’s leading MOOC platform, are a huge success. A total of 2,721 learners, which is approximately 25% of learners, have successfully completed them. This is a remarkable result compared to the average MOOC completion rate, which is just 10%. Scan to access the MOOCs OSE inGÉ, meaning ‘dare to join an engineering Grande École’ in French, offers personalised support for scholarship holders throughout their time in preparatory school studying to enter the Grandes Écoles. Launched in 2022, this initiative aims to help these students explore their career trajectories and develop their ambitions. The goal is to open the Grandes Écoles and the professional world to these students through mentoring from engineers who are alumni of ISAE-SUPAERO. This system, set up by OSE L’ISAE-SUPAERO and joined by ENAC in 2023, was made possible thanks to three high schools in Toulouse (Bellevue, Déodat de Séverac and Pierre de Fermat), 42 alumni mentors from the Institute, various partners (Occitanie Region, Airbus, Elior, CREPS de Toulouse) and a sponsor (the FDJ Corporate Foundation). The Student Services Department, whose main tasks are to receive and support students on a daily basis and help themwith their administrative formalities, and to implement lectures, assessments, and all other programmerelated activities. The Professional Development Department, a new feature in this organisation, whose aim is to support students’ professional development with the assistance of the Career Center, develop continuing and professional training, and ensure the roll-out of a skills-based approach in all courses. The IDEA Department (Digital Innovation for Aeronautics Education), continues to support professors in their roles. This department is responsible for educational and digital innovation, the development of pedagogical tools and resources, and the training of professors and researchers in higher education pedagogy. It also ensures the deployment of the TransitionS 2026 project and supports all AMI-CMA type projects. With the New Directorate of Education… Developing the OSE inGÉ Initiative Online Courses as Popular as Ever 344 Ingénieur graduates 132 MAE graduates 203 Advanced Master’s graduates 29 Industrial Engineering graduates This is the number of students on the ISAE-SUPAERO campus in 2023, which accounts for 22% of the total number of enrolled students. The proportion of women has risen by 5% in the past ten years; it was 17% in 2014. OSE inGÉ in numbers... Key Value Key Figures... The graduation ceremonies for the Master’s and Advanced Master’s, Industrial Engineering and Ingénieur programmes at ISAE-SUPAERO took place on Friday, December 8 and Saturday, December 9, 2023. The event was marked by the awarding of the diplomas to the first class of graduates from the Industrial EngineeringApprenticeship programme. The keynote speakers for these classes were alumni Jean-Christophe Lambert, Class of 2009 and founder of Ascendance Flight Technologies, and Valérie Guillemet, Class of 1988 and Director of Human Resources at DassaultAviation for theMaster’s andAdvancedMaster’s programmes and theEngineeringprogrammes respectively. The Ingénieur and Industrial Engineering programmes were presented at the ceremony by Caroline Bérard, a Professor at ISAE-SUPAERO, and Stéphane Amant, alumnus from the Class of 1998 and now Senior Manager at Carbone 4. students supported in 2022–2023 42 new students supported in 2023–2024 9 partner schools at the start of 2023–2024 6 411 The First Engineering Apprenticeship Class! ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 17 16 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
19 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 2024 Outlook Continuation of ‘TransitionS 2026’ Launched at the end of 2022 in collaboration with ENAC, this project aims to develop an online training programme on the energy transition in the aviation sector, with the programme scheduled to start in September 2026. The project officially commenced at the beginning of 2023 and the analysis phase enabled certain goals to be achieved: international benchmarking, the development of a skills baseline, and the establishment of an educational platform that will be used to run the training programme. Construction of the course modules will continue in 2024. One of the goals of our Institute is to increase the number of Advanced Master’s graduates up to 220 by the start of September 2024 (compared to 190 in 2023). The registration of the Advanced Master’s degree programme in the National Professional Certification Register (RNCP) should help achieve this goal. The new Professional Development Department, an essential element in welcoming professionals to be trained through ongoing education, will also work in this direction. More Advanced Master’s Graduates 2023 was marked by an audit by the CTI (Commission des Titres d’Ingénieur) on April 18 and 19. The auditors emphasised the high quality of the two engineering programmes driven by the dynamic research and the high level of professor involvement. The CTI has issued a recommendation on the deployment of the Skills-Based Programme Approach in each course by the start of 2025 at the latest, a commitment now undertaken by the Institute.Aprecise action plan has been drawn up to commit the Institute to this approach, which will take full effect with the changes to the programmes and the educational model. Objective: Skills-Based Programme Approach 18 Source: 1st job survey for the Conférence des Grandes Écoles conducted in the first half of 2023 by the ISAE-SUPAERO Career Center among graduates in the Engineering Class of 2023. 1,086 engineering students 79% 77% of graduates have secured permanent employment prior to graduation 3% founded their own company 57% work directly or indirectly in the aviation, aerospace, or defence sectors 20+% have chosen the energy, IT, and finance sectors 15% are pursuing a PhD of graduates work in companies, of which 72% are part of in large and medium sized companies and 28% in small and medium enterprises (SMEs)/micro-businesses 4th semester exchanges professional internships research internships gap year internships final year internships 190 students enrolled in Advanced Master’s courses 305 Master’s in Aerospace Engineering students Education by the Numbers… 211 students completed a semester or internship abroad International Mobility in the Ingénieur Programme Rapid andHigh-Quality Professional Integration 11 162 2 6 30 56 students enrolled in double degree programmes 141 students taking a gap year ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
182 professors and PhD students 400 research publications in 2023 ‘2023 was exceptional in many ways. The amount of new orders exceeded €12 million, beating the former record with ease! Eight projects received grants directly from the European Commission. The level of publications remains very high. Finally, we reached a milestone of 200 PhD students supervised by a member of ISAE-SUPAERO.’ Grégoire Casalis Dean of Research and Educational Resources esearch at ISAE-SUPAERO continues the impressive development that began a fewdecades ago, and 2023was exceptional in many ways. This research is marked by an increased focus on the quest for sustainable aviation. This is evidenced by the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA), which received a grant for its projects from the Occitanie Region in 2023; Mermoz, a project carried out with students to develop a zeroCO2 emission drone which had its hydrogenpowered maiden flight in early 2023; the activity around the Aviation & Climate Reference Guide; and the development of the AeroMAPS software. 2023 was the first year of a major grant at ISAE-SUPAERO.NaomiMurdochacquiredfinancing under the prestigious and highly competitive ERC consolidator framework. An ANR chair position with Liebherr-Aerospace was also obtained for the first time. More generally, the number of order intakes exceeded €12 million, beating the former record with ease! In addition to the ERC, seven other projects received grants directly from the European Commission. Furthermore, the level of publications remains very high, with a rate of 2.5 publications per full-time researcher. Finally, in 2023 the Institute reached a milestone of 200 PhD students supervised by a facultymember of ISAE-SUPAERO! Inparallelwith scientific research, significant advances in terms of research partnerships took place in 2023. One example is the agreement between ONERA, ENAC, and ISAE-SUPAERO on the signing of scientific papers within the framework of the Research Federation, which should increase the visibilityof the institutions concerned. In addition, a joint research laboratory project between ENAC and ISAE-SUPAERO is in the works. 2024 will be a decisive year for this major project! 20 21 R ISAE-SUPAERO • RAPPORT ANNUEL 2023 Photo illustrant la recherche à remplacer The Research PILLAR ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
AeroMAPS, a Decision-Making Tool for Air Transportation Transition The Directorate of Research and Educational Resources (DRRP) has a twofold mission: • to provide the Directorate of Education with the necessary skills to design and implement all the courses provided now and in the future by the Institute, and • to develop scientific knowledge and innovation potential for civil society, companies and sovereignty issues in the aerospace and space engineering fields. professors and research engineers order intakes in the research field of 2023 internal and collaborative research projects directly target decarbonisation or are related to the transition to sustainable aerospace. PhD students enrolled at ISAE-SUPAERO projects directly subsidised by the European Commission What is the impact for each air transportation transition strategy? This is the question the AeroMAPS project seeks to answer. AeroMAPS aims to develop open-source tools to explore and assess the sustainability of various transition scenarios for air transport. This includes building an integrated sectoral assessment model that takes account of technological, environmental, economic, and sociological considerations. More specifically, this model will enable the assessment of the impact of transition strategies such as hydrogen aircraft, flight quotas, etc. on CO2 emissions, ticket prices, and usage. This multidisciplinary project is being carried out by the Institute for Sustainable Aviation (ISA). AeroMAPS, the main tool used to simulate prospective scenarios, and AeroSCOPE, the tool used to explore sector emissions per region of the world. In addition to research and training activities, the aim of the project is to provide decision-making support for institutional, industrial, and association decision-makers in the aviation ecosystem. More broadly, AeroMAPS is a way for ISAE-SUPAERO to contribute to the public debate on the place of aviation in our society. The project currently includes two tools: Air Conditioning System for Future Carbon-Free Aircraft: ISAE-SUPAERO and Liebherr-Aerospace Toulouse Join Forces Adapting transportation to use carbon-free energy sources requires significant changes in system architecture. On aircraft, many subsystems, such as propellers or air conditioning units, are affected. The turbomachinery involved must bemodified; in the electrification process, the required operating range for turbines and compressors must be increased beyond the current state of the art, while offering very high efficiency. The CASTOR chair aims to achieve this. This is a joint research programme between Liebherr-Aerospace and ISAE-SUPAERO, supported by the ANR. A team of twelve people will lead the scientific programme over a four-year period between the DAEP laboratory and the company. The primary goal is to help meet the electrification requirements of air conditioning systems in aircraft. However, research will also help to develop more efficient fuel cells or heat recovery cycles. In the long term, they are aimed at the emergence of new turbomachinery system architectures, which can be applied to other industrial sectors. Key Value Key Figures As part of their studies of asteroids and small bodies in the solar system, the DEOS SSPA team is interested in the behaviour of granular materials representative of asteroid surface material in lowgravity and vacuum conditions. Understanding how soil behaves on a planetary surface is important for all interactions with these surfaces, such as in the design of tools, instruments, vehicles, and even future human habitats. The ERC GRAVITE project aims at implementing a newmeans of testing—a variable gravity tower from 5 to 8 m high— which will be able to simulate the gravitational force on each individual experiment over three orders of magnitude (1/1000 at 1 g, where ‘g’ is Earth’s gravity). This allows the team to recreate the gravitational environment on the surface of different planetary bodies to directly study the influence of gravity on soil behaviour. The results will help to reduce risk and improve the performance and scientific benefits from future space instruments and missions. For this project, Naomi Murdoch, a professor at the SSPA, received a consolidator grant from the ERC programme in 2023, withthesumof €2.3millionoverfiveyears. This highly selective and internationally renowned grant is awarded to researchers with a PhD and between 7 and 12 years of experience for a subject considered to be particularly promising. 22 23 124 275 22% €12M 8 An ERC Grant for GRAVITE, an Ambitious Project to Prepare for Future Planetary Exploration Naomi Murdoch Physicist and Planetologist at ISAE-SUPAERO Research and Teaching Resources at the Heart of Education ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023
lsabelle Latreille, archivist in the Documentation Department Three Questions to… Key Value What role does the Documentation Department play within ISAE-SUPAERO? In the Documentation Department, we work with and for students, professors, and staff at the Institute. We promote the Institute’s research by making the necessary resources and powerful documentation tools available to users. Specifically, what is your role within the department? I am responsible for the documentation information system and policy. In conjunction with my colleagues in the Collection Division, I coordinate acquisition priorities by analysing our collections. I supervise the promotional activities and manage the spaces dedicated to the Institute’s library. Finally, I work together with the other libraries of the University of Toulouse to offer pooled services to our users and continually enhance documentation search interfaces. What do you like best in your job? I am passionate about training and supporting students in documentation research, helping them develop their critical mindset, and opening them up to culture in this place of learning and living that is the Marie Marvingt Library. research publications 3,500 theses defended at ISAE-SUPAERO since 1975 1,000 historical scientific instruments 90 ISAE-SUPAERO technological platforms 17 ISAE-SUPAERO continued its contribution to the open science movement by launching its new Open Science ISAESUPAERO archive platform in October 2023. This reliable and regularly updated research tool is free of charge and accessible to everyone, from the public to scientific research specialists. Open Science ISAE-SUPAERO is connected to HAL and theses.fr and is being continuously enriched with the results of the work of our research teams published in the most prestigious journals and conferences. Access and documentation search methods have been significantly improved in the new version launched in 2023. This project is led by the Documentation Department with the support of the Institute’s IT Department. On Open Science ISAE-SUPAERO, youwill find... The Virtual Reality Machine Means of Electrical and Cryogenic Temperature Electro-Optical Characterisation of Microelectronic Circuits The Mechanical Design and Manufacturing Makerspace Supervised by a team of eight people, the makerspace offers a wide range of production facilities such as machining, composite manufacturing, sheet metal operations, and 3Dprinting of plastics andmetals. It meetsmost manufacturing needs for the Institute’s research activities. It also has a design office and can thus provide full support from design to manufacturing to product testing and enhancement. A quality department monitors the assemblies produced. This makerspace also offers training for engineering students and master’s degree students. The ISAE-SUPAERO Neuroergonomics Centre has developed a virtual reality experimentation room dedicated to human factor research. This room is outfitted with two motion platforms (6-axis and 3-axis), enabling a participant to be immersed in a dynamic environment while using a virtual reality headset. These platforms are used to reproduce the movement of an aircraft or spacecraft during flight simu– lations, create simulated turbulence conditions to study human-system interaction with tactile devices, or induce visual-vestibular conflicts to study sensory illusions. Computers equipped with powerful graphics cards are used to develop custom environments suitable for each research project. Virtual reality headsets have been integrated with eye tracking systems since 2017, when this technology had not yet been incorporated into off-the-shelf virtual reality headsets. The CIMI research groupworking on image sensors has several devices to characterise microelectronic integrated circuits and imagers at cryogenic temperatures from 10 to 300 Kelvin (-263 to +27 °C). These cryogenic temperature characterisation decks make it possible to take measurements using a tip tester or a 6-tip cryoprober on basic microelectronic devices, such as diodes or transistors up to more complex components, such as imagers using a cryostat for complex circuits up to 120 interfaces. These testing resources, used in the context of researchwork on the behaviour of semiconductors at low temperatures, are associated with characterisation methodologies developed within the research group. Open Science ISAE-SUPAERO, a Platform of Open Archives Focus on Three Research Facilities visits to theMarieMarvingt Library in its first year of operations 95,000 25 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 24
Focus on Research in the Departments DCAS – Department of AerospaceVehicle Design and Control DMSM - Department of Mechanics of Structures andMaterials DISC - Department of Complex Systems Engineering DAEP – Department of Aerodynamics, Energetics and Propulsion ‘I’ve always been fascinated by autonomous systems, and I love teaching and working in this area. I am interested in on-board decision-making methods to improve the efficiency, operational safety, and adaptability of autonomous systems. My research, supported by the Agence de l’Innovation de Défense (AID), the Agence Nationale de la Recherche (ANR), and the chair sponsored by Dassault Aviation (which I have overseen since 2022), contributes to various scientific fields, ranging from artificial intelligence to human-machine interaction and neuroscience. For me, 2023 was a year full of publications and international project launches, and it was also the year I obtained my HDR qualification enabling me to direct research. I am also now in charge of the Autonomous Systems major for 3A students.’ Caroline Chanel Professor in Decision and Command for Autonomous Systems ‘For almost twenty years now, ten of which have been spent working in the industrial sector, I've been working on understanding and modelling the mechanical behaviour of assemblies that enable forces to be transferred within structures. These activities are at the heart of aviation construction as they affect design, materials and processes, manufacturing, and maintenance. Some assembly technologies such as chemical and structural bonding intended for a mechanical function may need a multidisciplinary working framework to be utilised. For this purpose, I started collaborative work across the ICA Assemblies and CIRIMAT Adherence fields in 2017. Since 2020, I have been part of the AFNOR working group tasked with establishing a dimensioning standard for bonded assemblies, something that is still lacking today, reflecting the complexity of the subject.’ Éric Paroissien Professor in Aerospace Structures ‘As a researcher, I am interested in using artificial intelligence to better understand and impact the world, in particular to help us to tackle the environmental challenges facing us. In 2023, it was Mahmoud Al Najar’s thesis that best reflected this direction of interest. This collaboration between ISAE-SUPAERO, CNES, and OMP concerns the study of the use of AI to improve and develop new coastal evolution models. By improving coastal forecasting, we hope to give coastal communities the information they need to plan. In 2023, I also worked with MIT on wind turbine control and supervised ISAE-SUPAERO students on a satellite-based methane detection project. Environmental applications are very motivating for me because they have an obvious impact, they benefit from the development of new AI methods, and they enable me to continue learning.’ Dennis Wilson Professor in Artificial Intelligence and Data Science ‘Since 2016, I’ve focused my research on aerodynamics and the performance of new aviation propulsion systems, specifically on electrification and distribution of propulsion and aerodynamic coupling, in order to best quantify the energy losses in these systems. It involves studying new architectures from a theoretical, digital, and experimental point of view (with significant support from the DAEP technical team) and acquiring the appropriate theoretical tools. Since 2019, I have been working on the development of exergy theory as applied to aerodynamics. In order to facilitate dissemination of information, the Epsilon post-processing software has been developed and it is freely shared with the scientific community. Some of my work is supported by Safran, with which 13 patents have been published in recent years, as well as the Occitanie Region and Airbus. I am strongly involved in engineering and PhD programmes, and I like to get students involved as much as possible in these research activities.’ Sébastien Duplaa Professor in Fluid Mechanics and Propulsion LACS - Department of Languages, Arts, Cultures and Societies DEOS - Department of Electronics, Optronics and Signals ‘LACS is an incredibly diverse department designed to contribute to the Institute’s core mission: to train high-level scientific, humanistic, and innovative engineers to tackle the complex challenges facing the aerospace sector in the future. As Head of the Department, I see my role as a facilitator, making sure our students can benefit from my colleagues' savoir-faire and initiatives while promoting interdisciplinarity. My career at ISAE-SUPAERO reflects this. I work as a Spanish teacher, in arts and cultures on a more creative aspect, on an intercultural workshop, and finally as a co-designer for modules on diversity management and on civic engagement. I first arrived in 2007 and have always felt that I had the freedom to implement both original and demanding initiatives and to be able to contribute to what future engineers must be: humanistic and community oriented.’ Ausias Gamisans Head of the LACS Department ‘Since my arrival at the end of 2017, I have fully taken on the DEOS mission to design efficient, smart, and secure satellite and aviation communications systems. One of my areas of research is the development of secure communication schemes that are not based on cryptography, as is customary in the top layers of the communication protocol stack, but rather on so- called physical layer security techniques. My work involves building practical schemas, based on the principles of information theory, ranging from the analytical characterisation of these schemas to prototyping them using the PHYSEC test bench that I created in the DEOS Telecoms laboratory.’ Meryem Benammar Professor in Telecommunicationss ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 26 ISAE-SUPAERO • ANNUAL REPORT 2023 27
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