Canagrosa at Aeronáutica 360, TEDAE's event on the challenges facing civil aviation
A sector meeting to analyze the industrial, technological, and sustainability challenges facing the European aerospace sector
Cecilia Alarcón, Quality Director at Canagrosa, attended the sector meeting organized by TEDAE, the Spanish Association of Defense, Security, Aeronautics, and Space Technology Companies, which focused on reflecting on the current situation, future prospects, and the main challenges facing the civil aeronautics industry, a strategic sector for Europe's industrial and technological competitiveness.
Under the slogan “Promoting tomorrow's aviation today,” the conference brought together representatives from the aerospace sector and the institutional sphere with the aim of analyzing the industrial, technological, and sustainability challenges facing civil aviation in a context of high demand, growing global competition, and the need to strengthen public-private collaboration.
The meeting was attended by Ricardo Martí Fluxá, president of TEDAE; Ricardo Rojas Camuñez, vice president of Aeronautics at TEDAE and president of Commercial Aircraft at Airbus Spain; Manuel Gonzalez Relaño, CEO of Aciturri Aerostructures; F. Javier Pérez Alcaide, Commercial and Programs Director General of Aernnova; Jaime Fernández Castañeda, Senior Director of R&T at ITP Aero; José Antonio García, CEO of Inventia Kinetics; José Moisés Martín Carretero, Director General of CDTI; and Juan Antonio Tébar, Director of Innovation Policies at CDTI.
Civil aviation as a strategic sector
TEDAE emphasized the role of the civil aviation industry as a strategic sector, generating technology, skilled employment, and competitiveness in Spain and Europe. In a market dominated by large manufacturers and with the emergence of new players, it warned of the importance of investing in technology, talent, and industrial ecosystems.
Civil aviation must be promoted as a priority sector, with differentiated industrial and regulatory policies, even while sharing capacities and players with other areas.
Production, sustainability, and industrial coordination
The meeting addressed the immediate challenges associated with increasing delivery rates, in a scenario marked by tensions in the supply chain, material shortages, and difficulties in attracting and retaining talent. Added to these challenges is the transition to climate-neutral aviation, supported by sustainable fuels, digitalization, and advanced materials.
In this context, the need to move from an individual company approach to an integrated industrial system based on coordination between large companies, SMEs, technology centers, and institutions was emphasized.
Industrial ambition and public-private collaboration
During the conference, the importance of frank dialogue between the public and private sectors was also highlighted, with a view to overcoming fragmentation and acting as a European bloc in a complex geopolitical context.
Spain has the technological capacity, talent, and a solid industrial value chain to play a significant role in the future of civil aviation, provided that it strengthens its commitment to innovation and industrialization and invests in ambitious projects with real impact.
The single-aisle aircraft as the focus for the future
The meeting focused on single-aisle aircraft, a segment that will account for most of the market and is key to industrial leadership. Its development will require advances in sustainability, digitalization, composite materials, hybrid-electric systems, advanced manufacturing, and new-generation engines, as well as early planning and mature technologies over the next two to three years.
In this context, the opportunity to strengthen Spanish participation in European programs and in critical technologies associated with this segment was highlighted.
Canagrosa's position
Canagrosa's presence at this forum is part of our monitoring of the main strategic debates in the European aerospace sector. In the words of Fernando Alarcón de la Lastra, CEO of Canagrosa: “Civil aviation is a strategic industry for Europe. Addressing the challenges of production, sustainability, and technology requires collaboration, investment, and a shared industrial vision that will enable us to maintain our leadership in a context of growing global competition”.
