Airbus launches Airnovation Summer Academy with focus on tackling global challenges

Student teams have one week to produce game changing concepts linked to global need for food and water security

Some 50 top students from 20 countries, representing 24 Airbus partner universities, will join the second Airbus Airnovation Summer Academy from 1st to 6th July 2018 at the UK’s Cranfield University. The Academy brings together students from multidisciplinary backgrounds for an intense one week programme based on the principles and methods of a business accelerator.

Just as Airbus forms diverse, multidisciplinary teams to innovate and create value for customers and society overall, the Academy will see diverse student teams develop business proposals with speed and agility. This year their ideas will be a response to the 2018 challenge to produce game changing concepts linked to the global need for food and water security, which features highly in a recent survey ranking millennials’concerns*. By addressing challenges of global impact, the Academy offers to future aerospace professionals the opportunity to learn how to keep aerospace relevant to society, transforming and reinventing the industry.

Taking inspiration from Airbus experts in engineering and digital technologies and with the support of leading Cranfield faculty, students will apply state of the art innovation methods to develop their proposals over the weeklong programme. Each team will benefit from the guidance of Airbus experts and Airbus intrapreneurship coaches throughout the week, which will culminate in a pitching session to an expert jury, also livestreamed globally.

Intense teamwork will be interspersed with an energising series of interactive talks on highly digital, emerging technology and innovative business activities. Thousands of other students, as well as aerospace and digital enthusiasts, are expected to join and contribute through these livestreamed sessionsto hear from some of the experts revolutionising aerospace today.

“At Airbus, we believe that the technology to radically change the world is within our grasp, and we will need talented people who can harness new tools, a new mindset, and work effectively in diverse and multi-disciplinary teams. The network and the skills that students will develop this week while creating imaginative and practical responses to critical world challenges will be invaluable for their future careers”, said Airbus’ Chief Human Resources Officer Thierry Baril.

This initiative is part of Airbus’ commitment to working with education to develop the skills and competencies needed for the future of the industry.

The livestreamed talks throughout the week, as well as the final team pitches on Friday 6th July, will be hosted on the Airbus Facebook Careers.

* According to a recent Global World Education Forum Global Shapers Report ranking millennials’concerns, food and water security rank among the top 10 key concerns http://www.shaperssurvey2017.org/

About the live sessions
The timing of live online sessions open to all are below. More information can be found on the Airbus Careers webpage.

Tuesday 3rd July 
17:00-17:30 GMT+1 - Airbus Navblue Case Study

Wednesday 4th July
17:00-17:30 GMT+1 - Urban Air Mobility

Friday 6th July 
10:00-12:00 GMT+1 - Airnovation Live Pitching
13:30-14:00 GMT+1 - Airnovation Award Ceremony