Skip to main content

Background and aim

Innovair is Sweden’s national strategic innovation programme for aeronautics. The aim is to coordinate and support stakeholders from industry, universities, institutes, associations and government agencies who are active in the aeronautics sector. The main objective is to promote favorable conditions for a strong aeronautics industry in Sweden and to strengthen this sector through increased collaboration, research and information dissemination.

Swedish aeronautics is internationally recognized and contributes beside exports also with high capacity for innovation, high-tech jobs, community services, and technology transfer to other sectors. Another main objective is to contribute to Swedish defence and security capabilities. International competition is increasing and strategic initiatives in selected areas is necessary to preserve and strengthen the conditions for the aeronautics sector in Sweden.

Innovair has both short- and long-term goals for the environment, growth, innovation, and a strengthened international position. To achieve these goals, a joint research and innovation agenda, NRIA Flyg, has been developed, with updates every three or four years. The agenda formulates a strategy and also prioritises which technologies require focused efforts to create a strong international position.

Public funding of Swedish aeronautical innovation activities is mainly funneled through three funding programs: NFFP, demonstrator programmes and military R&T programmes.

Internationally, there are a number of activities with links to research and innovation in the aerospace field, not least in Europe where no industry consolidation has yet taken place as has in the US. Within Europe, extensive research collaboration is taking place within the EU framework programme Horizon 2020 (H2020) and related programs.

The work within Innovair will seek connections with other technology areas where collaboration can provide synergies for overall Swedish innovation. Such areas include computation, information management, logistics, lightweight, materials, software, production, productivity, security, simulation, manufacturing/product development, traffic management and transportation.