Overview
ACARE (the Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe) was founded in 2001 with the objective to establish and carry forward a Strategic Research Agenda (SRA) for aeronautics research that will influence all European stakeholders in the planning of research programmes. ASTERA (the Aeronautical Stakeholders' Tools for the European Research Agenda) is an initiative aimed at providing secretarial support to ACARE. During this project ASTERA entered into its third phase. ASTERA 1 and 2 supported the initiatives under FP6 and FP7 related to the SRA activities. ASTERA 3 ran to mid-2008 and will continue to be the hub for all ACARE activities.
The objective of the project was to provide continuity to the overall ACARE management. ASTERA also provided the necessary support for an update of the SRA.
Several new activities were introduced in the ASTERA 3 phase. These new activities included the establishment of mechanisms for the quantitative assessment of ACARE goals.
One expected achievement of ASTERA 3 is the delivery of a report presenting recommendations for very long-term research with the potential to transform the Air Transport System. This contribution woud identify key areas and new tools for research, with the aim of delivering step changes in the next decade.
Considering the multiplication of R&T programmes, ASTERA may become a reference point for further strategic activities in a European co-operative environment.
The work comprised the following main elements:
- The first element provided the necessary support to meet ACARE's desire to monitor SRA implementation. This was done through the Observation Platform which was split into technical and institutional monitoring activities.
- The second element consisted of the second phase of a series of workshops aimed at developing radical new ideas which could transform the Air Transport System in the long term. The results of the brainstorming were translated into a report with recommendations which could have an impact on the content of FP7.
- A third component consisted of communication activities. This included web-site development and improvement, including the creation of a members-only area. Additionally, the SRA navigator tool was developed towards a web-based application.
- The fourth element assisted ACARE in any work related to strategic thinking, in support of the further development of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA).
- The fifth element consisted of project management and support to the various ACARE working groups
Funding
Results
The main project results were:
- The implementation of the SRA in each of the stakeholders' research programmes, particularly (but not exclusively) the public funded programmes. Such monitoring facilitates the objective, which is to provide guiding information to the stakeholders in the planning of research programmes.
- Specific studies to provide the guidance on issues that are likely to drive future needs in aeronautics. In addition such studies will also provide insights into institutional or policy subjects which impact either the effectiveness or efficiency of European research.
- Studies to stimulate creative thinking and to provide directions for future radically innovative research and the associated research infrastructure as input for possible updates to the SRA and for content of the 7th Framework Programme.
- Redesign of the ACARE website: a new structure, a new graphical interface, a new navigation concept and a dynamic system for the news and events section.
- To provide support for the strategic thinking to further the development of the Strategic Research Agenda (SRA). This took the form of position papers on a range of topics.
- To prepare the addendum to SRA-2.