INNOVATION GENERATION, OR THE PARADOX OF THE AERO INDUSTRY

Afertile paradox: on the one hand a perpetual race for innovation and on the other an incessant search for the most stringent reliability. But this perpetual tension is beneficial, for it has ensured the continual success of the aero industry. In the world of aeronautics and space, it i s thanks to this acknowledged paradox that innovation is synonymous with the creation of value. Let us dig deeper to better characterise the notion of “innovation” which too often passes merely as a synonym for creativity. In the culture of the third dimension, innovation is ingrained in its heritage. More and more, it is necessary to have a philosophy of action that entails only carrying out the obligatory research if one is convinced that the product, the offer or the service, all of which are new, will satisfy a real demand, find users, and thus serve a market. Attention: anything new is not a progress. AN UNIVERSE IN PERPETUAL TRANSFORMATION In other words, since its emergence, at the turning point of the Belle Époque, the network of aviators formulated a desirable unknown to the point of transforming the real world. The principal characteristic of this approach is to immediately set to work on improving the previous innovation. In this universe in perpetual transformation it is this parameter that is behind the attraction of new generations to this already largely international community. The common characteristic of the colleges providing training for the multitude of indispensable professions is that they convey an active remembrance of responsibility, solidarity, innovation and calculated risk. All values that our era suffers from having lost sight of. The «aviator culture» maintains the link between generations, conveys public-spirited virtues and sustains a story that is as much regional as universal. Businesses, schools and political decision-makers involved in this sector experience it on a daily basis. A POWERFUL VECTOR OF COMMUNICATION In this innovative universe, disruption is not a taboo subject; on the contrary, even if most of the innovations that one comes across fall into the incremental domain; these innovations are designed, without other pretensions, to improve the dominant technology or the associated business model. Is this innovation or improvement? The debate is open, but there is no doubt that the innovative heritage is a powerful means of communication. The dream of Icarus and the exploits of science fiction blend together in a captivating and lively mixture. An adventure for humanity, a project carried forward by the generations that continually follow one other, the subject of this new edition of the Paris Air Forum which takes place under the banner of «The Innovation Generation».