Dear members and partners,
Throughout the 2023/2024 period, the Aerospace Valley cluster continued to actively prepare the future of our aeronautics, space and UAV sectors. While all three sectors are very dynamic and strong, they still face considerable challenges:
- The aeronautics industry faces a complex growth crisis including short term funding, supply and recruitment issues while at the same time it must prepare for a low carbon future by implementing technological innovation and industrial transformation actions.
- The space industry in the launcher field, focused on preparing for the Ariane 6 inaugural flight and the subsequent industrial ramp-up. In light of intense world competition, it must also invest in future technologies which will enable France and Europe to maintain their position. In the field of satellites and space data mining, American competition and European fragmentation have meant that transformation is needed backed by ambitious institutional projects, such as the European IRIS². constellation. Finally, the drone sector was driven by defence applications, sometimes directly linked to the war in Ukraine.
In the fall of 2023, the Cluster acquired a new governance structure with a new Board of Directors reflecting the diversity of our ecosystem’s components, and a new executive committee. The Accreditation committee worked at maximum capacity to assess technological projects applying for regional and national funding. The Strategic Orientation Committee began reviewing Cluster roadmaps.
Aerospace Valley showed positive results for the period, notably with:
- Recruitment of 128 new members with a total of 836 member companies as of March 31, 2024.
- Continuous, dynamic networking with the completion of nearly 110 events fostering new collaboration and partnerships.
- A period which showed good results for innovation and transformation projects: 124 projects were supported by the cluster including 49 with 71.8M€ in public funding. The Cluster which is deeply involved in the opportunities provided by the France 2030 program continued its actions in terms of market scanning and information about tenders, brainstorming sessions, and matchmaking, project support and organization and accreditation support.
- The Environmental Transition theme accounted for the most initiatives with notably Green Aerodays in Pau with its static exhibition of low carbon aircraft, launch of the Green Aircraft Challenge, support for production and distribution projects in our territories of Sustainable Aircraft Fuel, implementation of a “Low Carbon SME & Middle Sized Companies” collective supported by ADEME, creation of the Space Climate League brand including companies offering solutions linked to climate change issues.
The Cluster has met the challenge of the skills needed for our ecosystem head on. It has organized consortiums which in 2023 delivered DECSO and DACSO assessments of space and aeronautics requirements, then it supported the creation of ambitious projects that are applying for France 2030 funding.
The positive results were achieved thanks to our collective commitment to our members but also thanks to the density and strength of our network!
