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OFFICE NATIONAL D’ETUDES ET DE RECHERCHES AEROSPATIALES

ONERA

Établissement public créé en 1946 et placé sous la tutelle du ministère de la Défense, l’ONERA est aujourd’hui le premier acteur français de la recherche aéronautique, spatiale et de défense avec 25 % de l’effort de recherche national.

Lobbying Activity

Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

7 Nov 2025

ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, welcomes the European Commission's ambition to make R&I the cornerstone of European competitiveness, technological sovereignty and the transition to climate neutrality. However, ONERA would like to highlight several positive notes, areas for improvement and needs for clarification. Below is a summary of ONERA's main considerations regarding the proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and the forthcoming Horizon Europe (HE) regulations. A detailed analysis can be found in the attached EREA position paper, to which ONERA contributed extensively and that it fully supports. *** Positive Notes: ONERA values that the EC recognises the importance of the following matters: 1. The ECs proposal to set up Horizon Europe as a self-standing programme with its own regulation; 2. Increasing the HE budget to roughly 175bn; 3. Funding the entire R&I chain with suitable instruments from basic to applied research with low and medium TRL, demonstration and market readiness; 4. Continuing collaborative research and partnerships; 5. Facilitating cross-border and cross-disciplinary cooperation through collaborative research projects and partnerships; 6. Including Technology Infrastructures (TIs) for the first time under HEs pillar 4 European Research Area is a great sign from the EC on how essential TIs are for Europes technological sovereignty, strategic autonomy and competitiveness; 7. Preserving HEs familiar items: excellence as an evaluation criterion, actions and instruments will smoothen transitioning from one framework programme (FP) to the next one. 8. Integrating the structure of HE and the ECF; 9. Implementing moonshot projects will provide valuable impetus for future competitiveness. *** Need for Improvement: ONERA highlights the following concerns in the proposed legislation: 1. Recognise aviation as a strategic sector for Europe; 2. FP10 needs a dedicated independent funding stream for aviation. 3. Clarify the relation between HE and the ECF; 4. Ensure that no diversion of HE funding takes place; 5. Avoid reducing the collaborative research budget in HE; 6. Rebalance pillar II Funding in HE; 7. Strengthen RTOs position within the EIC funding architecture; 8. Avoid adding burden for stakeholders through simplification efforts; 9. Address concerns over more open and less prescriptive calls in HE for the sake of simplification; 10. Ensure that funding dual use R&I does not to come at the cost of civil aviation and define clear boundary conditions. *** Need for Clarification: ONERA finds that the following issues need to be clarified: 1. Demonstrate how the full R&I Chain with TRL schemes is supported; 2. Simplify access for RTOs, universities and SMEs, including deep-tech start- and scale-ups; 3. Clarify uncertainties on moonshot design, funding, governance and long-term R&D orientation of Clean Aviation moonshot, including budget allocations and stakeholder contributions. 4. Ensure stakeholder involvement in governance; 5. Use lessons from European Technology Platforms. *** Europes leadership in aviation depends on sustained, coordinated investment across the R&I chain, on the recognition of aviation as a strategic pillar of European sovereignty, and on a governance model that ensures stakeholders involvement. ONERA calls for a robust FP10 and ECF that enable long-term, and coherent support to European aviation, ensuring the sectors contribution to the Green Deal, industrial competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.
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Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

7 Nov 2025

ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, welcomes the European Commission's ambition to make R&I the cornerstone of European competitiveness, technological sovereignty and the transition to climate neutrality. However, ONERA would like to highlight several positive notes, areas for improvement and needs for clarification. Below is a summary of ONERA's main considerations regarding the proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and the forthcoming Horizon Europe (HE) regulations. A detailed analysis can be found in the attached EREA position paper, to which ONERA contributed extensively and that it fully supports. *** Positive Notes: ONERA values that the EC recognises the importance of the following matters: 1. The ECs proposal to set up Horizon Europe as a self-standing programme with its own regulation; 2. Increasing the HE budget to roughly 175bn; 3. Funding the entire R&I chain with suitable instruments from basic to applied research with low and medium TRL, demonstration and market readiness; 4. Continuing collaborative research and partnerships; 5. Facilitating cross-border and cross-disciplinary cooperation through collaborative research projects and partnerships; 6. Including Technology Infrastructures (TIs) for the first time under HEs pillar 4 European Research Area is a great sign from the EC on how essential TIs are for Europes technological sovereignty, strategic autonomy and competitiveness; 7. Preserving HEs familiar items: excellence as an evaluation criterion, actions and instruments will smoothen transitioning from one framework programme (FP) to the next one. 8. Integrating the structure of HE and the ECF; 9. Implementing moonshot projects will provide valuable impetus for future competitiveness. *** Need for Improvement: ONERA highlights the following concerns in the proposed legislation: 1. Recognise aviation as a strategic sector for Europe; 2. FP10 needs a dedicated independent funding stream for aviation. 3. Clarify the relation between HE and the ECF; 4. Ensure that no diversion of HE funding takes place; 5. Avoid reducing the collaborative research budget in HE; 6. Rebalance pillar II Funding in HE; 7. Strengthen RTOs position within the EIC funding architecture; 8. Avoid adding burden for stakeholders through simplification efforts; 9. Address concerns over more open and less prescriptive calls in HE for the sake of simplification; 10. Ensure that funding dual use R&I does not to come at the cost of civil aviation and define clear boundary conditions. *** Need for Clarification: ONERA finds that the following issues need to be clarified: 1. Demonstrate how the full R&I Chain with TRL schemes is supported; 2. Simplify access for RTOs, universities and SMEs, including deep-tech start- and scale-ups; 3. Clarify uncertainties on moonshot design, funding, governance and long-term R&D orientation of Clean Aviation moonshot, including budget allocations and stakeholder contributions. 4. Ensure stakeholder involvement in governance; 5. Use lessons from European Technology Platforms. *** Europes leadership in aviation depends on sustained, coordinated investment across the R&I chain, on the recognition of aviation as a strategic pillar of European sovereignty, and on a governance model that ensures stakeholders involvement. ONERA calls for a robust FP10 and ECF that enable long-term, and coherent support to European aviation, ensuring the sectors contribution to the Green Deal, industrial competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.
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Response to EU’s next long-term budget (MFF) – EU funding for competitiveness

7 Nov 2025

ONERA, the French Aerospace Lab, welcomes the European Commission's ambition to make R&I the cornerstone of European competitiveness, technological sovereignty and the transition to climate neutrality. However, ONERA would like to highlight several positive notes, areas for improvement and needs for clarification. Below is a summary of ONERA's main considerations regarding the proposals for the Multiannual Financial Framework 2028-2034, the European Competitiveness Fund (ECF) and the forthcoming Horizon Europe (HE) regulations. A detailed analysis can be found in the attached EREA position paper, to which ONERA contributed extensively and that it fully supports. *** Positive Notes ONERA values that the EC recognises the importance of the following matters: 1. The ECs proposal to set up Horizon Europe as a self-standing programme with its own regulation 2. Increasing the HE budget to roughly 175bn 3. Funding the entire R&I chain with suitable instruments from basic to applied research with low and medium TRL, demonstration and market readiness 4. Continuing collaborative research and partnerships 5. Facilitating cross-border and cross-disciplinary cooperation through collaborative research projects and partnerships 6. Including Technology Infrastructures (TIs) for the first time under HEs pillar 4 European Research Area is a great sign from the EC on how essential TIs are for Europes technological sovereignty, strategic autonomy and competitiveness 7. Preserving HEs familiar items: excellence as an evaluation criterion, actions and instruments will smoothen transitioning from one framework programme (FP) to the next one. 8. Integrating the structure of HE and the ECF 9. Implementing moonshot projects will provide valuable impetus for future competitiveness *** Need for Improvement ONERA highlights the following concerns in the proposed legislation: 1. Recognise aviation as a strategic sector for Europe 2. FP10 needs a dedicated independent funding stream for aviation. 3. Clarify the relation between HE and the ECF 4. Ensure that no diversion of HE funding takes place 5. Avoid reducing the collaborative research budget in HE 6. Rebalance pillar II Funding in HE 7. Strengthen RTOs position within the EIC funding architecture 8. Avoid adding burden for stakeholders through simplification efforts 9. Address concerns over more open and less prescriptive calls in HE for the sake of simplification 10. Ensure that funding dual use R&I does not to come at the cost of civil aviation and define clear boundary conditions *** Need for Clarification ONERA finds that the following issues need to be clarified: 1. Demonstrate how the full R&I Chain with TRL schemes is supported 2. Simplify access for RTOs, universities and SMEs, including deep-tech start- and scale-ups 3. Clarify uncertainties on moonshot design, funding, governance and long-term R&D orientation of Clean Aviation moonshot, including budget allocations and stakeholder contributions. 4. Ensure stakeholder involvement in governance 5. Use lessons from European Technology Platforms *** Europes leadership in aviation depends on sustained, coordinated investment across the R&I chain, on the recognition of aviation as a strategic pillar of European sovereignty, and on a governance model that ensures stakeholders involvement. ONERA calls for a robust FP10 and ECF that enable long-term, and coherent support to European aviation, ensuring the sectors contribution to the Green Deal, industrial competitiveness, and strategic autonomy.
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Response to European Innovation Act

19 Sept 2025

ONERAs Contribution European Innovation Act Europe has strong scientific and technological assets, but structural barriers still slow their transformation into industrial innovation. The European Innovation Act (EIA) is a unique chance to close this gap, help young companies to scale up across Europe, and spread innovation within the Single Market. Drawing on experience in aeronautics, space and defence, ONERA proposes the following recommendations. 1. Consolidating the researchinnovation continuum Innovation requires seamless transitions from research to market. Today, technology transfer is slowed by administrative burdens and fragmented instruments. The EIA should reinforce European valorisation tools patents, licences, spin-offs and foster stronger collaboration between universities, RTOs, SMEs and start-ups. Better alignment of instruments will accelerate the path from ideas to products. 2. Linking research, cooperation and industrialisation The EIA should connect research, innovation and industrialisation tools into a coherent continuum, while respecting their specificities. This would help turn scientific discoveries into industrial innovations and allow more companies to scale up within the Single Market. We recommend ensuring for start-ups and RTOs improved access to and fairer shares in funding dedicated to European partnerships. 3. Sustainability and accessibility of technological infrastructures Strategic assets wind tunnels, test benches, HPCs, observation stations are vital for Europes autonomy, competitiveness and sovereignty. Unlike Research Infrastructures, Technological Infrastructures lack a dedicated European strategy. ONERA calls for a dedicated European strategy for TIs that addresses their unique features: high upfront investments, long lifespans and the need for constant modernisation to remain globally competitive. The EIA should: provide a funding mechanism to ensure modernization, maintenance in operational condition and long-term sustainability of these infrastructures; allow SMEs/start-ups to benefit under mutually secure conditions, supported by vouchers or technical assistance; streamline funding, aligning EU, national and regional schemes; promote targeted upgrades (e.g. digitalisation) to extend life cycles; recognise cyclical activity, protecting skills and capacity in downturns. 4. Developing skills and mobility Talent is key. The EIA should expand industrial doctorates, foster intersectoral mobility and create attractive schemes to retain researchers and entrepreneurs in Europe. Fiscal incentives, career recognition, innovative remuneration, fellowships and social security portability are needed to curb brain drain. 5. Reducing regulatory barriers and boosting the Single Market Fragmented regulations hamper SMEs when scaling across borders. The EIA should simplify public procurement with standardised EU procedures, and cut red tape in funding programmes through shorter forms, lighter reporting and harmonised rules. 6. Anchoring innovation in sovereignty Innovation is not only an economic driver but also a pillar of sovereignty. The US and China invest heavily in critical technologies; Europe must catch up. The EIA should explicitly support critical technology building blocks (aeronautics, space, energy, cybersecurity) to reduce dependencies. It should also recognise dual-use dynamics, where civil innovations feed defence and vice versa. ONERA supports spin-in processes, integrating civilian innovations into defence technologies. 7. Recognising RTOs as pivotal actors RTOs bridge academia and industry, developing, testing and qualifying technologies in real representative conditions. Their mission extends beyond research to industrial valorisation. They adapt IP frameworks (balanced licences, co-ownership) to facilitate cooperation. The EIA should explicitly acknowledge their role and equip them to accelerate the transformation of research results into innovation.
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Response to European strategy on research and technology infrastructures

22 May 2025

Both Research Infrastructures (RIs) and Technology Infrastructures (TIs) represent a core asset for European research and technology, strategic autonomy and competitiveness. Whilst RIs have been widely supported in the past by the Commission, also through the notable set-up of ESFRI, a dedicated supporting strategy for TIs, which represent a main asset for the competitiveness goals of Europe, still is at the beginning. ONERA highly values and acknowledges such a consideration by the Commission for TIs and supports the main pillars of its future strategy; however, by looking at the different maturity level of supporting strategies for RIs and TIs, it is suggested at this stage to keep separate initiatives and concrete actions for these two kinds of infrastructures, therefore by elaborating a self-standing strategy for Technology infrastructures. TIs in some domains, e.g. aviation (especially large-scale infrastructures), are typically capital intensive, with high upfront costs and expensive periodic maintenance as well as upgrading costs to ensure continued service and relevance. For this reason, but also because these kinds of infrastructures were built in response to national, strategic needs, with supporting investments usually part of national and regional strategies, they are in general not operated by commercial entities but by (public) Research Establishments, such as ONERA, subsidized at a national / regional level. Because of this, the Technology Infrastructures found a stable embedding in not-for-profit organizations, which ensure their financial and operational management. The aforementioned considerations should lead the European strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures pay attention to the following points: 1. National / regional priorities enshrined by the subsidiarity principle are limiting the relevance and possibility of pooling and prioritisation of investments at EU level, 2. In addition, simplified procedures would be welcome as stronger alignment/compatibility between European, National and Regional funding would allow a better answer to the various needs of the TIs, 3. The cyclic nature of activities for these TIs such as large industrial wind tunnels that are strategic for aviation, defence and space, chiefly depending on industries development programmes, requires to maintain capabilities and competences and therefore some support or incentive policy for maintaining the full capability of such physical assets in low-demand periods as well as for preserving highly qualified personnel needed to operate these facilities), 4. As most of the TIs have a very long life-cycle (often more than 50 years) which implies extremely high and regular upgrade costs, the European Strategy on Research and Technology Infrastructures should include a specific modernisation effort for their competitiveness, including digitalization, 5. To really support competitiveness, TIs must be: a. made accessible (by the fees to be paid for their use point of view), also to SMEs and start-ups, and b. known by these potential new users that are SMEs and startups, which poses an urgent need to raise awareness of their capabilities, also in cross-related domains. Specific actions in the future funding tools could be considered, such as the possibility to include digitalization upgrades in the funding instruments (in response to the aging issue), the creation of permanent dedicated instruments, such as vouchers or financial support for technical consulting before and/or after testing, to support SMEs and start-ups to cover testing fees and better preparation / exploitation of results, and a one-stop shop service at EU level to raise awareness. 6. In addition, apart from the legal set-up ERIC (European Research Infrastructure Consortium), which is involving only MS, further legal form, also allowing combination of private partners for TIs need to be developed.
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Response to Options for support for R&D of dual-use technologies

30 Apr 2024

ONERA recognises the importance of addressing funding issues for dual-use technologies and creating synergies between the civil and the military sectors. In light of the elements detailed in the White Paper, option 1 is the recommended option. In all cases, we encourage close and in-depth cooperation between the Commission and stakeholders to jointly assess the most effective solutions and options for implementation, should there be clear and tangible evidence to justify changes to the current European financial support framework and instruments. For further justification of this position, please refer to the attached file. www.onera.fr
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Response to Interim evaluation of Horizon Europe

29 Jul 2022

ONERA wishes to highlight some very important issues, which should be addressed in the evaluation of the first results of Horizon Europe's research & innovation actions funded by the EU in 2021-2023.: • the essential role of research in preparing the technological basis for successful innovation in industry, • the need to support the entire R&I chain, and not to fill the Innovation Valley of Death at high TRL by reducing research on medium TRL, • Missions: ONERA supports missions as a general approach for European efforts in bringing together several actors from various DGs and sectors. However, we see a serious problem, that funding for missions comes mainly from Horizon Europe and will mainly be used for implementation and deployment action and thus further decreasing the funding for low- and medium TRL research • Horizon Europe as source for other European initiatives: ONERA supports basically the set-up of new initiatives like the Energy Breakthrough catalyst program or the Chips Act. But, using funding mainly from pillar two and particularly Cluster 5, will lead to a further reduction of funding for the research on topics important for the implementation of the Green Deal call. Without the technological basis created by applied research in Horizon Europe there will be hardly be any innovation available in 5 to 10 years. ONERA strongly supports collaborative research in the framework programme which should remain intact as much as possible. • in the European Partnerships, and in particular in Clean Aviation, the focus on large projects has implied that the number of participants has decreased compared to Clean Sky 2; furthermore, the additional activities for all partnerships are not yet clear. • in collaborative research, the topics of the calls in WP2021 and 2022 were very/too open, not focused enough, with a very broad scope and were therefore strongly oversubscribed particularly for the aviation domain; ONERA encourages more focused topics; also note that in case of broad topic, it is more difficult to get good qualified experts without conflict of interest. • ONERA wishes to highlight the major problem of lump sums for research topics: for the time being it is not clear that a partner, delivering his part of a joint work package while another partner does not, will get EU funding for the work delivered. In order to avoid this risk, work packages will have to be assigned to only one project partner. Such an approach endangers the spirit of European wide cooperation and does not encourage a variety of partners, in partic • Technological infrastructures: With respect to European R&I infrastructures, ONERA would like to highlight the need to address also Technology Infrastructures (TIs) in addition to the Research Infrastructures, important to achieve scientific excellence, currently managed in ESFRI. For every technological breakthrough, Technology Infrastructures are key to prove an idea, test & validate the technology and simulate its effectiveness (instrumental for upscaling). Europe needs a landscape of high quality, large scale TI covering the entire TRL ladder as well as a network of smaller facilities servicing local innovative ecosystems. In order to bring technologies beyond the lab-environment, applied test facilities, or Technology Infrastructures are indispensable in the innovation process; without them research cannot be valorized into products and services. Therefore, ONERA proposes to increase awareness and provide support to Technology Infrastructures into the expected Communication on ERA.
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Response to Action Plan on synergies and cross-fertilisation between the civil, defence and space industries

23 Oct 2020

As a Research & Technology Organisation (RTO) involved in civil aeronautics as well as in space and defence research and innovation (R&I) activities, ONERA welcomes the “Action Plan on synergies and cross-fertilisation between the civil, defence and space industries”. Within a multidisciplinary approach, ONERA’s works ranging from TRL 1 to 6 naturally embodies such cross-fertilisation actions. It also acknowledges that Aeronautics, Space and Defence (ASD) industries and research establishments are key components of the national and EU sovereignties and that they nurture altogether a wide range of subsequent industries, thus partaking to the overall EU competitiveness. In this respect, ONERA makes the following recommendations that could help shaping the Action Plan in the prospect of a greater impact: 1.Raise awareness on potential benefit of space for end-users. Many potential end-users are largely unaware of the why and how of downstream space data. Dissemination forums associated with secondary B-to-B meetings between space tech experts and their potential users (e.g. regional or local policy-makers, Land-use planners, SMEs) may strongly leverage the EU ecosystem of space users, related industries and subsequent private investments in the sector. 2.Encourage private initiatives in the space sector. Space is often seen as a key element of national sovereignties. This rightful view leads to institutionalized top-down research programmes fitting priorities of Member States and associated agencies. Though it is most of the time justified, such a conception leaves almost no support for R&I initiatives stemming from private actors and especially from start-ups or new space actors. In the meantime new private actors abroad are developing quick path to new space technologies that are seriously challenging the whole EU supply chain and that may imperil in the end this very same sovereignty we pretend to defend on ASD. It is therefore time to propose light and quick mechanisms to support European private investors in space technologies. 3.Take better benefit of civil technologies for defence. Defence is par excellence a sector of national sovereignty. Recent mutualisation of research throughout the EDF is very welcome. However specific mechanisms could be reinforced for allowing the defence stakeholders to take further benefit from civil and space technologies. Dedicated meetings may be organized where tech providers from the civil sector could introduce their products and services to military experts and officers. These meetings would allow identifying new products that could pose problems of defence and suggest specific funding for military hardening of such technologies at a lower expense. 4.Support common Technology & Research Infrastructures (TRIs). Synergies and cross-fertilisation is also a matter of infrastructures. Many RTOs such as ONERA maintain heavy and costly TRIs that are often used with a great degree of commonality for ASD. However these TRIs are poorly supported by the EU and may sometime become outdated compared to similar infrastructures popping up abroad, especially in emerging countries. This a major threat to EU sovereignty and competitiveness. Specific actions reinforcing EU support toward these TRIs would be a major step forward. 5.Assess existing synergies and orient further related efforts. Points above are the 4 most important identified by ONERA for increasing synergies and cross-fertilisation activities. However, stepping further probably requires a fair detailed assessment of what is already implemented and what should be newly proposed. Such analyses should be perform by a high-level committee of impartial experts, able to provide recommendations to orient further efforts. This is the advisory mission of ONERA at a national level and we would be very keen to extent this mission toward the EC. Existing research associations to which ONERA is already participating may form the basis for such a committee
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Meeting with Fabrice Comptour (Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska), Tomasz Husak (Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska)

28 Nov 2017 · Space

Meeting with Fabrice Comptour (Cabinet of Commissioner Elżbieta Bieńkowska)

14 Dec 2016 · European Space Strategy