Embraer To Invest In Air Mobility Engineering Research Center

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Embraer has approved plans to invest in an Engineering Research Center (ERC) focused on “the future of air mobility.” Also investing in the center are Brazil’s Instituto Tecnológico de Aeronáutica (Technological Institute of Aeronautics/ITA) and Fundação de Amparo à Pesquisa do Estado de São Paulo (São Paulo Research Foundation/FAPESP). The organizations say they are jointly planning to invest R$48 million ($10.1 million) in the project over the next five years.

“We are very excited with the approval of the Engineering Research Center focused on the future of air mobility, in partnership with ITA and FAPESP,” said Luís Carlos Affonso, Embraer senior vice president of engineering, technology, and strategy. “I am certain that the Center will be a benchmark of enterprise-government-academia cooperation toward the zero-carbon aviation of the future, generating value to society as a whole.”

ERC research activities are expected to focus on three pillars including low carbon aviation, autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing. According to Embraer, the center is aiming to create a “favorable environment for knowledge dissemination, highly qualified human resources training and production of high-impact scientific publications.” It was not announced when the ERC will officially begin work.

Kate O'Connor
Kate O’Connor works as AVweb's Editor-in-Chief. She is a private pilot, certificated aircraft dispatcher, and graduate of Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University.

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2 COMMENTS

  1. According to their SEC filings, last year Embraer generated revenue of $4.2 billion USD.

    This press release masquerading as news is talking about a NON-binding commitment of $2 million for each of the next five years which Embraer would split with an engineering school and taxpayer-funded research foundation.

    IF it actually ever comes to past, and even if EMB pays 100% of both partners’ shares, this historic “investment” in “the future of air mobility” represents a whopping 0.05% of Embraer’s revenue.

    Wow, less than one-twentieth of one percent, EMB really sees this as the future of the company and is making an “all-in” bet on air mobility!!

    Having spent a lot of time trying to do business in Brazil, the only part of this “news” that didn’t seem disconnected from reality was the last sentence: “It was not announced when the ERC will officially begin work.” Talk about an understatement…

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