UVic's Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) will be Bombardier's first academic partner on the sustainability-focused EcoJet Research Project.

Bombardier, one of Canada's top aerospace companies, has unveiled the University of Victoria Centre for Aerospace Research (CfAR) as the first academic partner on its trailblazing pan-Canadian and sustainability-focused EcoJet Research Project.

The EcoJet Research Project explores blended wing body (BWB) aircraft configuration and advanced new technologies to reduce business jets emission by up to 50 per cent. The technology has the potential to transform the Canadian and global aerospace industries and to forge a new path forward in the field of sustainable aviation technologies. CfAR has taken a critical and leading role in the project with scale model design, manufacture and flight testing.

For more than a decade, the Centre for Aerospace Research has grown from strength to strength, and our cutting-edge work with Bombardier represents the most significant research partnership in our history. Through this collaboration, our students and researchers are gaining critical real-world skills while helping to push forward the frontiers of sustainability and redefining the boundaries of what is possible for the future of the global aviation industry."

-Afzal Suleman, Canada Research Chair, director and professor of CfAR

Innovative and experimental aviation

CfAR's mission is to spur innovation and attention to the positive role aerial vehicles can play in the betterment of society. Since its beginnings in 2012, CfAR has greatly expanded its range of offerings to include turn-key research services, design, fabrication, ground testing, flight testing and operations for a wide range of potential applications in the aviation and aerospace fields. These unique and world-class capabilities are highly valued by Bombardier, and have helped position CfAR as the premier research centre in Canada for end-to-end development of a range of innovative and experimental aviation technologies.

We are thrilled to contribute our university's expertise to Bombardier's groundbreaking EcoJet Research Project, a tangible example of UVic's dedication to a brighter future for all through innovation. This collaboration marks a significant step forward in our commitment to sustainability, a greener future for the aviation industry, and the development of cutting-edge technologies that advance the frontiers of science and engineering right here in British Columbia and throughout Canada."

-Kevin Hall, UVic's president and vice-chancellor

UVic is committed to being a global leader in environmental, social and institutional sustainability. The United Nations Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) are a priority at the university, and at their core, represent a call to action to protect our planet while promoting prosperity for everyone, everywhere. CfAR's collaboration with Bombardier helps advance climate action, representing a tremendously innovative-and tangible-step forward in the field of sustainable aviation, locally, nationally, and globally.

Learn more in the article from Engineering and Computer Science: "Centre for Aerospace Research positions UVic as premier Canadian research hub for sustainable aviation"

• Read the Bombardier press release.