Press Release

Aero strengthens ties with universities and attracts young talent to aviation

Vodochody, 8 October 2024 – Aero has continued its successful cooperation with Czech universities. At its second annual meeting, Aero presented a number of innovations that open up new opportunities for engineering students, from paid internships and mentoring to competitions and real projects.

In September 2024, the second meeting between Aero and leading Czech technical universities – CTU, VUT Brno and the University of Defence Brno – took place. “In agreement with the universities, we feel a decline in interest in technical fields among young people. Therefore, Aero wants to focus its activities together with universities on promoting technical education already at the level of secondary and primary schools,” says Petr Jinda, Executive Vice President for Development, Aero, and adds: “The aim is to popularise technical fields and motivate students to choose this career path. We need young talents who will shape the future of Czech aviation.”

The cooperation between Aero and three Czech universities has already resulted in successful projects. Students benefit from the opportunity to participate in bachelor and master theses under the supervision of Aero specialists and, in turn, Aero specialists participate in both professional and popularization lectures at the universities. Another part of the cooperation is student competitions, for example the Ikaros competition in 2024, where university teams had the opportunity to compete and present their skills in beam strength optimization.

An important part of the cooperation is also the commercial part, where Aero uses the very specific technical knowledge of the universities. “In the field of commercial cooperation, we have successfully completed the AODAT (Aircraft Operational Data Analysis Tool) project in cooperation with CTU, which aimed at an innovative solution in the field of processing and analysing operational data in aviation. Another example of collaboration is helping universities to map and optimise chemical processes under the REACH (Registration, Evaluation, Authorisation and Restriction of Chemicals) directives,” says Petr Jinda, Executive Vice President of Development, Aero.

New developments in collaboration

In collaboration with CTU, Aero is now focusing on engaging in a teaching programme. An elective course is being finalized that will include paid summer internships with an assigned mentor from Aero. This arrangement is relatively ground-breaking in the Czech Republic and we are hoping for an even greater connection between students and industry, which may subsequently lead to long-term collaboration. Another new project is the MACH 3 competition, planned for 2025 in collaboration with the University of Defence. The aim of this competition is to encourage student creativity and the development of innovative ideas, particularly in the field of aerodynamics, which can then be implemented in practice. Aero is also supporting technical education by donating teaching aids such as the hydraulic stand, which is actually a test prototype of the L-159 hydraulic system composed of original units including electrical and mechanical interconnections. This stand will be used for teaching students of the University of Defence. University representatives also presented the activities of student clubs. Aero, together with the universities, plans to identify those that might be suitable for cooperation and then support them through mentoring, field trips or lectures. “Technical fields can be challenging, but they bring exceptional opportunities to create innovative products, such as our aircraft. The existing cooperation with universities has been beneficial for both parties. We definitely want to continue building a strong partnership with the university sector to help shape the future generation of domestic engineers that our aerospace industry urgently needs,” adds Petr Jinda.

This year’s meeting was a follow-up to the first meeting in 2023, during which a systematic and structured cooperation between Aero and Czech universities CTU, VUT Brno and the University of Defence Brno was launched. However, partial partnerships with Czech universities have been ongoing for a longer period of time, for example in the field of guidance and processing of bachelor, diploma and scientific theses.

AERO Vodochody AEROSPACE a.s. focuses on the development, production, maintenance, and modernization of civil and military aircraft, and is the largest aircraft manufacturer in the Czech Republic and one of the oldest aircraft manufacturers in the world. In the field of its own aircraft, Aero is a permanent partner of a number of military air forces and has a strong position in the market for military trainers and light combat aircraft. With 11,000 aircraft produced in its 100 years of existence, hundreds of L-39 Albatros aircraft still in service with dozens of military operators and a number of demo teams, and especially with its new L-39NG aircraft, Aero has established itself as a leader in the global jet trainer market. In the civil aviation sector, Aero works with major aircraft manufacturers on a wide range of projects and is a partner in several risk-sharing programs, where it is responsible not only for the manufacture and assembly of aircraft assemblies but also for their development.

Contact:
Radka Černá, PR & Communications Manager
e-mail: radka.cerna@aero
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