Relocation of the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub to the Paris-Saclay Innovation Playground

The 41 EUROCONTROL Member States have agreed to the relocation of the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub (EIH) to the Paris-Saclay Innovation Playground. The project, will see EUROCONTROL build a new, state-of-the-art simulation and innovation centre at the EU’s major new innovation hub, located just outside Paris.

Aviation is facing a series of major challenges. Demand for civil air traffic is expected to continue to grow, military requirements are increasing and new entrants such as drones or higher airspace operations need to be integrated into an increasingly saturated network. In parallel, the requirement to reach NetZero by 2050 is an existential issue for the industry.

To address these challenges, EUROCONTROL has a strategic need to strengthen its own research and innovation services for the benefit of its Member States and stakeholders. The ambition is to evolve the existing EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub into a centre for collaborative innovation for European aviation. To reach this ambition, EIH requires a new dynamic, sustainable facilities, and easily accessible location within a strong innovation ecosystem.

The Paris-Saclay Innovation Playground, one of the top 8 innovation clusters worldwide and the top cluster in the EU, is the ideal location for the centre. Hosting the Paris-Saclay University, more than 400 start-ups, major aviation organisations and businesses such as Airbus and Thales. Access to this ecosystem will support the Agency’s drive to recruit and retain a dynamic workforce as well as facilitate the strategic partnerships needed to drive EUROCONTROL’s innovation activities for the coming decades.