Aviation and aerospace sector
The aviation and aerospace sector is important, it connects the world. The sector consists of many airports, large companies, SMEs, universities and other organisations. A big part of the total sector is the EU Aeronautics Industry, these organisations are working on innovations and manufacturing products for air- and spacecrafts. More than 400.000 highly skilled people are working in the EU Aeronautics Industry. The sector faces challenges in terms of sustainability, environmental liveability, safety and efficiency. The EU and national governments are offering numerous grant opportunities for aircraft manufacturers (OEMs), supplying companies, airlines, (technical) universities and all other stakeholders for projects that contribute to the challenges.
Challenges of the Aviation and aerospace sector
The sector, like all other sectors, needs to emit less CO2 and become more sustainable. The Paris climate goals aim to be climate-neutral by 2050. However, it’s a lot more complicated for the aviation and aerospace industry to reach that goal. To replace the fossil fuels in an aircraft is way more complex than in a car. Hydrogen, for example, is seen as an alternative, which many universities are now also researching, but hydrogen brings other challenges when it comes to safety and transport.
Grant opportunities for the Aviation and aerospace sector
To solve the major challenges of the aerospace sector, the EU offers many grant schemes. Partners throughout the chain can use grants to solve specific issues. There are some grant schemes specifically intended for the aviation and aerospace sector, but many ‘generic’ grant schemes are also interesting for research, innovation or investments. We list some of the grant opportunities:
EU grants for the aviation and aerospace sector
| Grant scheme | Information |
| Clean Aviation | Develop and implement technologies for carbon-free aviation. |
| SESAR | Research projects for a more efficient European airspace through advanced aviation management technologies. |
| CEF Transport | Transport projects contributing to a solid European network, including improving air traffic management and airport infrastructure. |
| Horizon Europe (Cluster 4 and Cluster 5) | Horizon Europe is the largest European grant programme. Both Cluster 4 and Cluster 5 of Horizon Europe contain grant calls relevant to the aviation and aerospace sector. |
| European Defence Fund (EDF) | The European Defence Fund helps innovation projects around various themes that are also of interest to organisations within aerospace. |
| Generic grant schemes: Interreg, Eurostars, LIFE, EIC Accelerator, EIC Pathfinder, EIC Transition, Marie Skłodowska-Curie Actions, ERC grants | There are several EU grant programmes with ‘open calls’ or thematic openings for the aerospace sector. |
Get in contact with a specialist!
The ‘Aviation and aerospace’ team at Hezelburcht specialises in analysing and identifying the best grant opportunities for your project. Do you want to invest in research or development projects within the sector? Don’t miss out on available grants and discuss your grant opportunities with a specialist. We are happy to assist you! Contact us at info@hezelburcht.com, call us directly at 088 495 20 00 or fill in the form:
