TU Delft and Airbus enter five-year partnership to advance talent and technology

News - 12 April 2023

TU Delft and Airbus have signed a strategic partnership agreement to advance talent and technology. The five-year pact involves collaboration on topics such as curricula development, continuous training, recruitment, inclusion and diversity, entrepreneurship education for students, sustainability, technology and innovation. Through joint research activities, in particular PhD projects, the partnership provides Airbus access to both new and traditional topnotch engineering capabilities, in areas such as sustainable aviation, space, helicopters, artificial intelligence and cyber security.

Photo: Henri Werij, Dean of the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering of Delft University of Technology (left), and Wouter van Wersch, Airbus Executive Vice President, Head of Region & Sales Europe (right) celebrate the new partnership agreement together with a team of the society of aerospace students 'Leonardo da Vinci' and students of the AeroDelft team.

With this ambitious collaboration with TU Delft, Airbus aims to enable the development of talented students, in order to meet the company’s current and future needs in the aeronautical, defense and space industry, and to build a better talent pipeline from TU Delft into Airbus.

“Developing technology, talent and the needed skills are vital for tackling the challenges the aerospace industry is facing and to be ready for the future,” said Wouter van Wersch, Airbus Executive Vice President, President Europe Region & Sales. "The partnership agreement with Delft University of Technology highlights our commitment to working closely together with academic leaders in our pursuit of pioneering sustainable aerospace."

The partnership facilitates strategic alignment on research activities and gives students of TU Delft the opportunity to further engage with Airbus. By joining forces, the partnership will further help speed up the research, innovations, and talent development needed to increase the sustainability and the decarbonisation of the aerospace industry.

“We are very pleased to sign this strategic partnership with Airbus. A collaboration with the world class aircraft manufacturer Airbus is essential for creating the technological breakthroughs that are needed to make aviation truly sustainable,” said Prof. Dr. Henri Werij, Dean faculty of Aerospace Engineering TU Delft.