Airbus and ArianeGroup join the industrial “Partners Club” of the German-French Academy for Industry of the Future

The German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future, co-founded by Institut Mines-Télécom (IMT) and the Technical University of Munich (TUM), has created an innovative cooperation model aimed at fostering innovation and digital transformation. With support from Fondation Mines-Télécom, it founded the industrial “Partners Club”, through which major stakeholders gain access to an ecosystem pursuing excellence in research. The aerospace and aeronautics sectors are currently tackling major technological challenges related artificial to intelligence, cybersecurity, advanced manufacturing, and hydrogen propulsion systems. In this context, Airbus and ArianeGroup, the two European leaders in these fields, recently became the first official members of the Academy’s Partners Club, with the aim of sharpening their forward-looking strategies.

Founded on the experience and expertise of Fondation Mines-Télécom, the Partners Club was designed to facilitate interactions and technology transfer between the industrial and academic worlds. From the Academy’s perspective, the entry of Airbus and ArianeGroup in the club opens new horizons for future research and training initiatives, while also developing a pool of French and German experts in Industry 4.0. The Academy currently brings together 150 researchers from both countries.

Digital transformation, central to industrial strategies

The manufacturers’ teams, which are fully immersed in this digital transformation, will work together with experts in the field from IMT and TUM. They will therefore gain exclusive access to the Academy’s research and the opportunity to attend events where they will meet stakeholders who are shaping the industry of the future. They will also be able to participate in “Innovation Expeditions”.

Critical sectors for European sovereignty

Airbus and ArianeGroup are constantly improving quality and safety standards in their fields, while integrating the latest innovations and anticipating the next technological breakthroughs. The Academy, in keeping with its role of sharing new best practices, will share its knowledge with its industrial partners. This will enable them to integrate and adapt these concepts to the field, making them more competitive, resilient and sustainable, which are all crucial issues today.

Cooperation between these two major European groups and the Academy will also strengthen ties between France and Germany as they work together on issues of industrial and digital sovereignty. The Franco-German axis is indeed a driving force in supporting innovation that will increase technological expertise in Europe.

Bruno Le Maire French Minister of the Economy, Finance and the Recovery

I am delighted that two major European companies in the aeronautics and space sectors have joined the partners club established by the German-French Academy for the Industry of the Future. ArianeGroup and Airbus will benefit from an ecosystem of excellence in research and innovation.”

Odile Gauthier Executive Director of Institut Mines-Télécom

One of the global challenges that extends beyond our borders is that of redeveloping French and European companies that have been hard-hit by COVID-19. I am therefore convinced that we must strengthen cooperation between France and Germany, with the aim of implementing new and concrete actions. In this respect, the signing of the partnership with two major industrial groups sends a strong message.”

Claude Imauven President of Fondation Mines Telecom

Fondation Mines-Télécom is very proud to support the German-French Academy, which is a strategic project for IMT. Together we can create a powerful tool to improve the competitiveness of companies and their partners. The role of Fondation Mines-Télécom is to form partnerships such as this between the academic and industrial worlds. The open and flexible framework created by the sponsorship system is a major advantage in these collaborative initiatives.”

Sabine Klauke Head of Engineering d’Airbus Defence and Space

Digital transformation, artificial intelligence, and cybersecurity are all central to the industrial technology and processes of the future that are shaping the development of Airbus. Given our Group’s deep roots in Franco-German cooperation, we are proud to become members of the German-French Academy’s Partners Club, and to join forces with engineers from the industrial world, research professors, and students from IMT and TUM, which are among Europe’s most prestigious schools and universities.”

André Hubert-Roussel CEO of ArianeGroup

ArianeGroup is the fruit of a joint Franco-German venture in 2015 for Ariane 6, which sought to guarantee Europe’s sovereign access to space. It is therefore both an obvious choice and source of pride to have our most innovative teams participate in the German-French Academy. With the support of our academic partners, we will be inspired to encourage and back new joint ventures that will promote Europe’s access to space. These new ventures promise to be increasingly innovative, competitive, and respectful of the environment, for the benefit of all.”