Overview
As a result of increasing global integration and societal mobility, the international aeronautics industry is experiencing dynamic growth. Air traffic is expected to double in Europe by 2020.
During this period of growth, the Austrian aeronautics industry has seen its revenues increase over the last two decades from € 30 million to more than € 620 million. Alongside the great aeronautics nations of Europe like France, Germany, Great Britain, Italy, Spain, the Netherlands and Sweden, Austria’s aeronautics supply industry has had success in specialised niche areas. The aeronautics technologies developed in these segments have already been supplied to markets all over the world, with an export ratio of nearly 100%.
Despite continuing growth, this internationally oriented industry is also undergoing a period of consolidation, which brings difficult times for suppliers. The major aircraft manufacturers are reducing the number of their suppliers, supplier relationships are generally set up by the supplier themselves only after the risk-intensive process of developing their own technology, and the export trade holds additional risks. Among such intense competition, the Austrian aeronautics industry has prioritised expansion of new niche areas along with inclusion of new companies into this growth market, in addition to stabilising existing supplier relationships.
The Federal Ministry for Transport, Innovation and Technology supports this dynamic process with the specifically tailored national Aeronautics Research and Technology Programme TAKE OFF.
The competititveness of the Austrian aeronautics economy and supply industry shall further be improved through high research, technology and cooperation and through networking and know-how development in the industrial, academic and non-academic fields.
TAKE OFF supports the development of strategic European and international partnerships as well as opening up new markets. Therewith the turnover of the Austrian aeronautics sector shall be increased in the long-term and high-tech productions in Austria will be supported, which in turn will generate safe and highly qualified jobs.
By implementing the first national RTI-Aeronautics-Strategy (Research, Technology and Innovation) in the year 2007, the TAKE OFF objectives were adjusted and already incorporated into the subsequent calls.
Funding
Target groups of the TAKE OFF calls are:
a) Industry and service providers with headquarters or research establishments in Austria, as well as
b) Research establishments, researchers out of the academic or non-academic field, universities of applied science and training facilities.
c) Public and private consumers in cooperation with a) and b)
which should be assigned to the aeronautics sector or bring along appropriate expertise from other sectors into the segment aeronautics to build up new competencies.