Fifteen years after signing their first cooperation framework agreement, Polytechnique Montréal and Safran have renewed their partnership. Representatives of the two organizations met at Polytechnique on November 4 to celebrate the collaboration.
First row (left to right): François Bertrand, Vice President, Research and Innovation at Polytechnique Montréal; Eric Dalbiès, Executive Vice President, Strategy and Chief Technology Officer at Safran.
Second row: Augustin Brais, Senior Advisor, Research and Innovation Directorate at Polytechnique Montréal; Neila Kaou, Interim Director, Office of Research Partnerships at Polytechnique Montréal; Anne Barussaud, Vice President, Materials and Processes at Safran; Yannick Bonnaire, Senior Vice President, Innovation at Safran.
Third row: Nury Ardila, Development and R&D Partnerships Advisor, Office of Research Partnerships at Polytechnique Montréal; Vincent Garnier, Director of Safran Tech; Nathalie Stubler, Chief Sustainability Officer at Safran; Sylvain Boisvert, General Manager of Safran Canada.
Fourth row: Marjorie Cavarroc, researcher at Safran; Nicola Piccirelli, researcher at Safran; Jean-Louis Champion, researcher at Safran; Edern Menou, researcher at Safran.
Fifth row: Jérôme Lacaille, researcher at Safran; Cyril Mouchnino, Programs Director and Deputy Director at Safran Tech; Ghyslain Boisvert, Assistant Director, Office of Research at Polytechnique Montréal; Yves Desvallées, R&T Partnerships Director at Safran Aircraft Engines.
Sixth row: Cyril Dupeyrat, researcher at Safran; Maxime Paraillous, researcher at Safran.
A delegation of 14 dignitaries from the French aerospace giant travelled to Montreal for the event. They toured the laboratories of some of their collaborators, including mechanical engineering professors Etienne Robert and Daniel Thérriault, and Professor Annie Ross, Associate Director of Research at Polytechnique Montréal.
The new five-year framework partneship will support a total of 20 research projects and collaborative initiatives. The joint efforts span the spectrum of sustainable aviation technology, which has become the focal point of aerospace innovation in recent years. Safran allocates more than 75% of its R&D spending to improving the environmental performance of its products.
Multiple benefits
When Safran and Polytechnique Montréal began a joint project on organic matrix composites in 2010, no one suspected they would be working together on so many more projects 15 years later. Today, there are more than 40 projects in at least 15 technological fields and involving some 15 companies, driving the development of an innovation hub in the Montreal area. These projects have produced tangible results: more than 300 scientific publications, around 50 patents and inventions, and two spin-off companies. The parnetship also allows for any discoveries to be used beyond aeronautics by non-competing SMEs, maximizing the benefits for Canada's entire ecosystem.
Since 2010, projects carried out under this partnership have also contributed to training more than 50 graduate students. And some 50 undergraduates have benefited by completing an internship at Safran in Canada or France. The vast majority of the students who contributed to these projects were recruited by Canadian companies and organizations after graduating, creating a pool of skilled talent that strengthens the country's aerospace ecosystem.
"Safran's visionary commitment to fundamental and applied research enables Polytechnique to develop cutting-edge expertise that positions Canada at the forefront of sustainable aviation," said François Bertrand, Director of Research and Innovation at Polytechnique Montréal.
Two research chairs renewed
The new chapter we begin writing on November 4 will initially involve some 30 faculty members and their teams from five Polytechnique departments. Projects on the recycling of critical metals and the development of high-temperature fuel cells will be added to the current research on improving electric motors and turbine aerothermodynamics.
Two major research chairs sponsored by Safran were renewed at the same time. The Chair on Additive Manufacturing of Organic Matrix Composites (AMOMC), led by Professor Daniel Therriault of Polytechnique Montréal's Department of Mechanical Engineering, develops new manufacturing processes for composite parts for the aviation industry. The chair comprises six Polytechnique professors, most of whom are affiliated with the Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics (LM2). In addition to Safran, funding comes from industrial partner Dyze Design, as well as the Natural Sciences and Engineering Research Council of Canada (NSERC) and PRIMA Québec, for a total of approximately $5.1 million over five years.
The Chair on Multifunctional Passive Acoustic Treatments for Turbofan Composite Structures (TAPPIS) is developing new materials and manufacturing processes for aircraft engine parts to reduce noise. Led by Professor Annie Ross of Polytechnique Montréal's Department of Mechanical Engineering, this chair comprises six Polytechnique professors and research professionals. It uses the facilities of Polytechnique's Laboratory for Acoustics and Vibration Analysis (LAVA) and is funded by industrial partners Safran and FDC Composites, with support from NSERC and PRIMA Québec, for a total of approximately $3.8 million over five years. SphèreCo Technologies, Carleton University and the CTT Group in Saint-Hyacinthe are also partners.
According to Eric Dalbiès, Safran's Executive Vice President, Strategy and Chief Technology Officer, these two chairs have helped propel Polytechnique Montréal to the forefront of global research in composites, additive manufacturing and advanced aerospace technologies, establishing it as a key partner in the development of the sustainable aircraft of the future.
"Polytechnique's expertise in composites and additive manufacturing, particularly in the development of new processes and innovative materials, is an important asset for meeting the challenges of sustainable aviation," he said. "Through this collaboration, we are accelerating the development of key technologies for the future of aeronautics."
Learn more
- Professor Daniel Therriault's expertise
- Professor Annie Ross's expertise
- Laboratory for Multiscale Mechanics website
- Laboratory for Acoustics and Vibration Analysis (LAVA) website
- Chair on Additive Manufacturing of Organic Matrix Composites (AMOMC) website
- Chair on Multifunctional Passive Acoustic Treatments for Turbofan Composite Structures (TAPPIS) website
- Department of Mechanical Engineering website
- Undergraduate program in aerospace engineering website (in French)
For more information
2500, Chemin de Polytechnique, Bureau A-201, 2e étage
Montréal Québec
Canada H3C 3A7
www.polymtl.ca
