Guest editorial Free

It is my pleasure to present this special issue of the Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology (AEAT) journal, dedicated to the 6th European Aeronautics Science Network (EASN) International Conference on “Innovation in European Aeronautics Research”. The Conference was organized by EASN together with the Institute of Science and Innovation in Mechanical and Industrial Engineering (INEGI) in Porto, Portugal, October 18-21, 2016.

The EASN Association was officially established on May 6, 2008 by 20 founding members, following two European Commission-funded Specific Support Actions. EASN is: an international association based in Brussels; self-funded and self-sustainable; and coordinated and run by a board of directors which is elected by the general assembly for a three-year term. Presently the EASN Association has 325 members, including individuals and laboratories, from nearly all European universities dealing with aeronautical research.

The long-term goal of EASN is to build up an open, unique European platform to structure, support and upgrade the research activities of European universities dealing with aeronautics, as well as to facilitate them to respond to their key role within the European aeronautical research community in incubating new knowledge and breakthrough technologies. The primary aim of the EASN Association is the advancement of the aeronautical sciences and technologies. Any individual with an interest in aeronautical topics and aeronautics-related research may become a member of EASN. In addition, entities such as research establishments, small-to-medium enterprises (SMEs), industry and universities are welcome to join EASN. More details about EASN services, membership types and activities of EASN can be found at its website www.easn.net.

Based upon the EASN statute and coming from the assumption that dissemination of research results is one of the most important roles of EASN activities, we originally decided to organize workshops and gradually, they transformed into conferences. The first workshop was organized in Paris (2010) and the second in Praha (2012), and in the following years, successive workshops were held in Milano, Aachen, Manchester, finally leading to a full-blown conference in Porto (2016) as indicated in Figure 1.

During the Porto Conference, more than 220 participants attended and about 160 papers were presented. Numerous papers were developed in current projects funded within the scope of the European Commission 7th and 8th Framework Programs (FP7/FP8) and a few of them are included into this AEAT) Special Issue. Furthermore, distinguished invited speakers updated the delegates about the newest opportunities for carrying out aeronautics-related research, on available research infrastructure and novel research results. Among the keynote speakers were Dr Jose Rui Marcelino (INEGI, Portugal), Prof Ray Whitford (Cranfield University Defence Academy of the United Kingdom), Dr Dietrich Knoerzer (European Commission), Dr Jean-Francois Brouckaert (Clean Sky), Dr Giuseppe Pagnano (Clean Sky), Ms Valerie Guenon (European Commission) and Dr Markus Fischer (Airbus Bremen).

From the numerous contributions to the conference and after completion of the peer review process, 24 articles were accepted for publication in two special issue installments of the (AEAT) journal. Among these accepted articles, 12 are included in the first volume of this special issue, namely, Vol. 89, Iss. 5. The remaining 12 articles will constitute Vol. 90, Iss. 5, to be published in 2018.

Finally, I would like to express my deep appreciation to Dr Askin T. Isikveren, the Editor-in-Chief of the (AEAT) journal and Ms Stephanie Hull, Senior Publisher in Emerald Group Publishing Limited, for offering EASN the possibility to publish a number of selected articles and for their continuous support in preparing this special issue.

I hope you will find the contents of Vol. 89, Iss. 5, interesting while reading.

Guest Editor and Vice President of EASN