AID and GIFAS strengthen their partnership to support changes in aerospace technology

On 18 November 2024, the French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) and the French Aerospace Industries Association, GIFAS, renewed and strengthened their partnership agreement. Drawing on the GIFAS StartAir club, R&T support schemes and GIFAS member space industry companies, this new agreement will improve support for changes in aerospace technology and industry, and foster synergies for both civilian and military applications.

In recent years, AID and GIFAS have cooperated in order to identify innovative players and projects for the benefit of the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans as well as the aerospace and defence industry represented by GIFAS. The partners have also worked together to raise the profile of the aerospace industry through promotional events, such as the International Paris Air Show and the Defence Innovation Forum.

In addition, AID is regularly invited to events organised by the GIFAS StartAir Club and participates in the French Civil Aviation Research Council’s SME advisory committee (CORAC-PME). AID is therefore kept informed of or asked to contribute on topics that reflect its priorities, while GIFAS is able to respond to needs that cannot be addressed or supported through AID.

Meetings will be held between AID and members of the GIFAS space industry ecosystem in order to discuss developing technologies and future disruptive innovations, as well as the related questions of sovereignty. The two partners may also organise thematic workshops attended by equipment manufacturers, suppliers and emerging players in the space industry to identify common issues and priorities.

Frédéric Parisot, Managing Director of GIFAS, says: “This agreement will improve the ability of both our entities to detect innovations in our industry. Because our member companies often pursue a dual – civil and military – purpose, our aim is to help them scale up their innovations in defence or civil programmes, with carefully managed costs and timeframes.”

AID Director, Engineer General Patrick Aufort, says: “The French Defence Innovation Agency is delighted to be strengthening its partnership with GIFAS, in the interests of defence innovation and the aerospace industry. The StartAir club events and the CORAC-PME advisory committee are excellent forums for us to identify and support innovative players and projects of both civilian and military interest. The renewal of our agreement will also enable us to develop joint initiatives for space, which is a key focus area for innovation within the French Ministry for the Armed Forces and Veterans.”

The French Defence Innovation Agency (AID) was established on 1 September 2018. It federates all of the Ministry’s innovation initiatives, taking responsibility for their coordination and coherence. While pursuing work on long-term technological innovation, the Agency also identifies opportunities for innovation for the benefit of end-users in wide-ranging fields, including operations, equipment, support and administration.

The French space sector boasts almost 150 companies including 70 equipment manufacturers active in the sector, and 40 startups who have joined the StartAir club. Most of these companies operate in other markets including aviation, defence and electronics. The sector derives its strength from a complete ecosystem spanning the entire value chain: equipment, launch systems, satellites, supply chain, data and applications.

Despite fierce international competition, it contributes to the outreach of French industry, generating €3.1bn consolidated revenue in 2023, including more than 50% of export sales, together with the July 2024 launch of Ariane 6, which reestablished European access to space.

The sector meets multiple challenges, including the strategic and economic sovereignty of France, the impacts of climate change, and the security and protection of our technological assets. Within this ecosystem facing massive changes on an international level, wide-ranging innovation must help to retain the national sector’s competitive edge and enable the French and European space industry to lead the way for a sustainable space model.