News Releases

February 2007

Aeronautical research in Europe : EREA moves ahead and broadens

The association of European aeronautical research establishments EREA has just grown from seven to eleven members. A time for Onera to review its mission and actions.

EREA, the association of European aeronautical research establishments, was founded in 1994. Until 2005, there were seven partner members: CIRA – Italy, DLR – Germany, INTA – Spain, FOI – Sweden, NLR – Netherlands, Onera – France, VZLU – Czech Republic. In 2006, it welcomed four new associate members: ARCS – Austria, INCAS – Romania, ILOT – Poland, VKI – Belgium and International.

The representatives of the EREA establishments met in Brussels in December 2006 in honor of the membership of the new members, around Janez Potočnik, European commissioner in charge of science and research, and Fred Abbink, director general of the NLR and current president of the EREA (4 th and 5 th from the left).

Let us recall that EREA is a non-profit association whose missions are to:

• promote and represent the common interests of its members
• strengthen cooperation among its members in the civil and military aeronautics fields
• improve cooperation of the EREA and its members with third parties
• approach the objective of integrated management of common activities of its members, and thus contribute more effectively to the leading role played by Europe in the aeronautical world.

In 2006, EREA members participated together in the performance of projects launched in the context of the EU's 6^th PCRD and prepared the 7^th Framework Program with other partners, in particular industries and universities. The EREA is also working on harmonizing and pooling investments concerning infrastructures. The creation of the European economic interest group [GEIE] Aero Testing Alliance associating the DNW (NLR and DLR wind tunnels) and Onera is a notable example of this.

A "Human Resources and Mobility" working group was also organized to encourage and facilitate mobility within EREA establishments.

The EREA will be present at the 2007 Paris Air Show, at a stand neighboring Onera's.

Last Update: 12 March 2007 - © ONERA 2009 - Terms of use