The overall aim of the AERO-UA project is to stimulate aviation research collaboration between the EU and Ukraine through strategic and targeted support. AERO-UA is focused solely on Ukraine, because the country has a huge aerospace potential but a low level of aviation research collaboration with the EU. Ukraine’s aerospace sector spans the full spectrum of systems and components development and production with OEMs, Tier 1 and 2 suppliers, aeroengine manufacturers, control systems manufacturers, R&D institutions, aeronautic universities, and SMEs. This is also reflected in the sector's important contributor to the country’s economy (e.g. aircraft production of €1,9 billion in 2011).

Ukrainian aerospace organisations possess unique know-how that can help Europe address the challenges identified in the ACARE SRIA / Flightpath 2050 Report. Furthermore, following the signing of the Agreement for the Association of Ukraine to Horizon 2020 in March 2015, Ukrainian organisations are eligible to participate in Clean Sky 2 and H2020 Transport on the same funding terms as those from EU member states. Equally, genuine commercial opportunities exist for European aviation organisations to help modernise Ukraine’s aerospace sector.

The AERO-UA project will achieve its overall aim via four high-level objectives:

1. Identifying the barriers to increased EU-UA aviation research collaboration;

2. Providing strategic support to EU-UA aviation research collaboration;

3. Supporting EU-UA aviation research knowledge transfer pilot projects; and

4. Organising awareness-raising and networking between EU-UA stakeholders.

The AERO-UA consortium is comprised of key EU and UA aviation organisations that will implement WPs closely mapped to the high-level objectives. The consortium will be supported by an Advisory Board involving Airbus, DLR, Min. Education and Science of Ukraine, Ukrainian State Air Traffic Services Enterprise and retired Director of EADS Jean-Pierre Barthélemy.