Safran

Safran has inaugurated a research and technology centre in Saclay, Paris, France, to focus on electric aircraft, new aircraft propulsion architectures and information and communications technologies.

Named Safran Tech, the centre will serve Safran’s business sectors, and employ 300 scientists and engineers.

The company invested €60m in the centre and plans to spend a further €20m by 2018.

The centre will collaborate with universities, government organisations, industry partners and start-ups to form a top-tier scientific community.

"The centre will collaborate with universities, government organisations, industry partners and start-ups to form a top-tier scientific community."

Safran chairman Jean-Paul Herteman said: "Safran Tech reflects Safran’s ongoing investments to ensure the future of our businesses, our industry, the knowledge economy in Europe, innovation and growth.

"We have an unprecedented backlog of orders, equal to an all-time record of seven years of business."

Safran Tech is currently working with research organisations such as the Université d’Orsay, Ecole Centrale de Paris, Sup&accute;elec, SupOptique and ONERA.

The centre will establish a laboratory in partnership with French Alternative Energies and Atomic Energy Commission, CEA, to study sensors and their applications, as well as build a vehicle robotics laboratory with Peugeot-Citroën, Valeo, and the École des mines de Paris engineering school.

In 2013, Safran spent €1.8bn in R&D, equivalent to 12% of its revenues, and a third of the spending went to research and technology.

Image: Safran’s research and technology centre in Saclay. Photo: courtesy of Thierry Mamberti / Safran.