Strategic collaboration agreement signed for the development of innovative materials and aerospace technologies that will enhance the safety, efficiency and sustainability of future aircraft.
Solvay, a global market leader in composite and polymer materials, has today signed a Strategic Collaboration Agreement with Ascendance Flight Technologies, a pioneering aviation startup located in Toulouse, France. This agreement will see Solvay, Ascendance Flight Technologies and Airborne collaborate on strategic innovation and the acceleration toward sustainable aviation solutions. By leveraging the synergy of their combined expertise in advanced materials and aircraft engineering, the partnership will drive the development and implementation of game-changing technologies in the aviation industry.
“As the world continues to address the challenges posed by climate change, the aviation sector faces increasing pressure to reduce its environmental impact,” states Gerald Perrin, EMEA Business Manager for Solvay. “We are delighted to combine our strengths and resources with Ascendance Flight Technologies in our joint pursuit to create a spearheading force for positive change in the aviation industry.”
With its extensive experience in providing advanced materials and sustainable chemistries, Solvay is ideally positioned to support the industry's transition toward more sustainable aviation. Ascendance Flight Technologies is known for its groundbreaking work in developing next-generation sustainable aviation platforms, such as the company’s ATEA hybrid electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft and STERNA hybrid electric propulsion technology. Airborne is a leader in the industrialization of composites and is unique in the way they combine digital automation systems as well as aerospace-qualified manufacturing services.
Solvay’s role under the collaboration agreement is targeted at delivering significant breakthrough solutions through close collaboration in these key areas:
- Advanced Composite Material, Structural Adhesives and Polymers to achieve superior performance, durability and lightweighting for enhanced safety, efficiency, and sustainability of future aircraft.
- Sustainability Solutions integrating Solvay’s products into Ascendance Flight Technologies sustainable aviation platforms to help minimize their carbon footprint and environmental impact.
“We know that no one can bring aviation to a new era alone, which is why we are collaborating with some of the brightest partners in the market to make cleaner aviation a reality together” comments Jean-Christophe Lambert, CEO of Ascendance Flight Technologies. “Solvay’s comprehensive know-how in advanced materials and their dedication to sustainability will help us address the environmental challenges faced by our industry and shape the future of air transportation with greener and more efficient aircraft. Airborne's capability in both the manufacturing of aerospace structures and the industrialization for high volume manufacturing will help to close the gap between fast prototyping and making the right choices for future manufacturing."
Airborne CTO Marcus Kremers comments "This partnership highlights the composite industry’s need to bring design, materials and processing expertise together at an early stage. Too often, the initial focus is on prototyping, and only later are the right materials, processes and automation defined which unfortunately impacts the development stage. Here we are ensuring that all aspects are taken into consideration from the start, setting us up for success."
Visitors to the 2023 Paris Air Show (19 to 25 June 2023) at Le Bourget Parc des Expositions, can visit Ascendance Flight Technologies in the Paris Air Mobility area located in Hall 5 to explore their latest developments in eVTOL technology.
Related media
[Photo of Ascendance Flight Technologies and Solvay representatives at the signing event] At the 2023 Paris Air Show, Solvay and Ascendance Flight Technologies have signed a partnership to collaborate in the development of innovative material and aerospace technologies for enhancing the safety, efficiency and sustainability of future aircraft. [From left: Gerald Perrin, Solvay EMEA Business Manager; Jean-Christophe Lambert, CEO of Ascendance Flight Technologies and Stéphane Viala, Director of Engineering & Program at Ascendance Flight Technologies ].
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Solvay is a science company whose technologies bring benefits to many aspects of daily life. With more than 22,000 employees in 61 countries, Solvay bonds people, ideas and elements to reinvent progress. The Group seeks to create sustainable shared value for all, notably through its Solvay One Planet roadmap crafted around three pillars: protecting the climate, preserving resources and fostering a better life. The Group’s innovative solutions contribute to safer, cleaner, and more sustainable products found in homes, food and consumer goods, planes, cars, batteries, smart devices, health care applications, water and air purification systems. Founded in 1863, Solvay today ranks among the world’s top three companies for the vast majority of its activities and delivered net sales of €13.4 billion in 2022. Solvay is listed on Euronext Brussels and Paris (SOLB). Learn more at www.solvay.com.
Founded in 2018 by Jean-Christophe Lambert, Thibault Baldivia, Clément Dinel and Benoît Ferran, and supported by the Occitanie regional council and Bpifrance, Ascendance Flight Technologies is a startup whose goal is to decarbonize aviation. Based in Toulouse, it is currently developing STERNA, an innovative hybrid electric propulsion system, and a VTOL (vertical take-off and landing) aircraft equipped with this technology, named ATEA. www.ascendance-ft.com
At Airborne we know that innovation in manufacturing through automation, digitalisation and advanced analytics is the catalyst for the significant increase in productivity that companies need to stay competitive. We understand the complexity and cost involved in producing composite products for demanding applications in highly regulated industries. Our legacy in advanced composites manufacturing makes us experts in developing and delivering automated solutions that enable our customers to achieve high production rates and radically low conversion costs. www.airborne.com