On March 7, 2019, the Institute of Aviation was visited by the Marshal of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship, Adam Struzik and the Director of the Department of Regional Development and European Funds in the Marshal Office of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship Regional Council, Marcin Wajda. The visit was aimed at presenting the research infrastructure along with the equipment and projects of the Institute of Aviation realized thanks to European funds obtained with the support of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.
The meeting was held at the Center of Innovative Aeronautical and Space Technologies, where jobs for over 400 engineers and technicians in the high technology sector were created.
As part of the Regional Operational Program of the Mazowieckie Voivodship, the Institute of Aviation created and modernized laboratories of: composites, space and satellite propulsion, aerial and space environmental research, remote sensing, materials, thermal and strength analyzes as well as aerospace instruments.
The Institute of Aviation has also obtained European funding for the purchase of the necessary research infrastructure, including a robotic system for laying composite strips. The benefits of using composites in aviation have been stimulating work on new materials and production technologies for many years. Composite technologies are also part of the priority directions of research within the smart specializations of the Mazowieckie Voivodeship.
Compliance of tasks carried out at the Institute of Aviation with regional smart specializations also includes technological solutions in astronautics. The Institute of Aviation is currently carrying out projects related to ecological propelling materials, satellite and rocket propulsion and remote sensing. The European Space Agency has designated satellite and rocket propulsion as one of the most attractive niches in which Polish entities can play a unique role and be leaders on a global scale for a dozen or so years. The Institute of Aviation is a definite leader in Poland in this domain, taking part in 10 out of 12 ESA projects submitted to Poland.
The mission of the Institute of Aviation is also to support Polish industry by preparing technologies that can be used by domestic producers. During the meeting with the Mazowieckie Voivodeship authorities, numerous research projects were presented, including the successfully developed ILR-33 AMBER suborbital rocket and solutions for modern agriculture using unmanned and remote sensing systems developed at the Institute of Aviation.
The director of the Institute of Aviation also stressed the importance of international cooperation with the American research institute – Nevada Institute of Autonomous Systems, which led to the creation of a joint Center of Excellence in 2017. The Institute of Aviation is the only Polish institution that participates in the pilot program of UTM systems in Nevada under the supervision of the Federal Aviation Administration. The unmanned aerial systems: ILX-32 MOSUPS, Baraguar and the anti-drone system SUDIL take part in these tests.
The research, technological and organizational activities of the Institute of Aviation are very well in line with the assumptions of the Strategy for Responsible Development, where the basis for building a relatively stable competitive advantage of the country is innovation, cooperation, corellation, flexibility and dynamism. The Institute of Aviation plays an important role in a large part of the strategic sectors, while in others it begins to build a stable position. In addition, it strengthens the human and organizational potential in the Mazovia region – up to now, 1300 engineers and specialists have found work here.
