Embraer announced a broad set of new technological partnerships with global companies focused on breakthrough technologies in the autonomous systems arena. These agreements are part of Project EASy, the Embraer Autonomous System project, which uses agile experimentation processes for the development of best-in-class solutions that will enable the autonomous aviation of the future.
The US-based Near Earth Autonomy, Iris Automation, and Ansys, as well as Switzerland’s Daedalean and Brazilian’s Motora.ai, are working with Embraer to accelerate the creation of innovative technologies and transform tomorrow’s air mobility, in line with Embraer’s strategy of establishing strong partnerships in the global innovation ecosystem. The companies will work together in an open innovation approach to develop and evaluate several new autonomous flight technologies, both in simulation and real flight conditions.
“We have been working intensely to co-create the aviation of the future in a broader collaboration with key technological partners,” said Maurilio Albanese Novaes Junior, Head of Research & Technology. “We are glad to now have Near Earth Autonomy, Iris Automation and Daedalean contributing with their unique knowledge and experience in autonomous flight, as well as Ansys with its physics-based sensor simulation and expertise, along with Motora.ai which brings agile and flexible software integration to add value to our development project.”
This joint work will allow Embraer to develop innovative new products in line with the company’s continuous search for an efficient and sustainable future, such as the eVTOL (electric vertical landing and take-off aircraft) developed by Eve, Embraer’s Urban Air Mobility company.
Eve and Acciona enter strategic partnership
Eve UAM, LLC, an Embraer company, and Acciona, a global company leader in the provision of regenerative solutions for a decarbonised economy, today announced a strategic partnership to accelerate the development of a global and sustainable Urban Air Mobility ecosystem. Under the terms of the partnership, upon the consummation of Eve’s business combination with Zanite Acquisition Corp., Acciona will invest US$30 million and will join the group of strategic investors that are currently supporting the development of Eve and its business plan. As part of the agreement, José Manuel Entrecanales, Acciona’s Chairman and CEO, will become one of the seven members of the Board of Directors after Eve’s listing on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), which is expected to happen in the second quarter of 2022.
“Whether we like it or not, the world’s population is increasingly concentrating in larger cities. Keeping the climate footprint of these urban areas at bay is one of the greatest challenges of the decarbonisation process we are all engaged in,” said Entrecanales. “Urban air transport models such as the one proposed by Eve can be very useful when considering different sustainable mobility solutions. Participating in a project as innovative as Eve will allow us to continue advancing along that path.”
“Our agreement with Acciona reinforces Eve’s commitment to delivering a sustainable UAM ecosystem, which includes not only our zero-emission eVTOL – electric vertical takeoff and landing vehicle – but also the green infrastructure that will support this new way of transport. Its capability to build these infrastructures, added to its top credentials in sustainability, bring essential skills and expertise to the business that will help us to maintain our distinction in the market,” said André Stein, co-CEO of Eve.
The partnership will also benefit novel industrial initiatives in the development of a sustainable UAM ecosystem, including vertiports, power purchase agreements, battery charging solutions, and handling. In 2021, 93 percent of the Acciona Group’s investments were aligned with the European Union’s taxonomy for sustainable activities. The company avoided the emission of 13.4 million tonnes of CO2 (+1.5 percent) during the year, ending that year as the most sustainable electricity company in Spain and the second most sustainable worldwide, according to the Sustainability Yearbook 2022 published by S&P Global.
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