Safran to decarbonize air transport with start-ups

Safran is starting a program called “Explore H2” to find and support start-ups with a focus on hydrogen. The objective is to collaborate with these businesses to create cutting-edge hydrogen aviation technology.

With “Explore H2,” Safran hopes to find, aid, and establish partnerships with start-ups on its innovation and R&T initiatives using hydrogen. The first choice focuses in particular on managing hydrogen flows in a propulsion system, managing hydrogen temperature and status, monitoring these systems in real-time, and managing fuel cells for the aviation industry. With partners from Germany and France, this initiative was created.

Startups will be chosen through competitions organized by the European Innovation Council of the European Commission and German startup accelerator TechFounders by UnternehmerTUM. The chosen businesses will receive assistance from the Starburst acceleration program, training from Safran University on particular topics, and supervision from the CEA and CETIM in their labs for the technological maturity phase.

According to Eric Dalbies, Strategy, R&T, and Innovation Director at Safran, “Opening up to external innovations and to the ecosystem of start-ups is very rewarding for the Safran teams and it allows us to share our expertise in the aeronautics sector so that together, through the Explore H2 program, we can make hydrogen an ambitious solution for the aviation of tomorrow.