Establishment of the Swedish Aeronautical Research Center (SARC)
Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology
ISSN: 0002-2667
Article publication date: 12 March 2019
Issue publication date: 15 August 2019
Abstract
Purpose
This paper aims to present the newly founded Swedish Aeronautical Research Center (SARC), based on the triple helix theory, to foster the seamless Swedish aerospace research interplay between academia, research organizations and industry.
Design/methodology/approach
The paper is a technical paper, mainly relating and explaining sources and concepts for research planning and organization. Used concepts are the triple helix approach (for socioeconomic effects), the role of academia and industry interplay for education and the technology readiness level (TRL) concept for strategic research planning. Focusing on the establishment of a graduate school, lessons learned from previous national research schools are also presented.
Findings
The paper gives an overview of and explains the interplay between politics, social welfare and industrial R&D needs, with the academic viewpoint of aeronautical research and education. Shortcomings in both the use of TRL for research program planning and the Swedish competence cluster system are identified and remedies suggested. The main findings are suggestions for future actions to be conducted by SARC in the fields of research and education.
Practical implications
The paper includes implications for the seamless interplay between academia, research organizations and industry.
Originality/value
So far, no publication about the newly founded SARC has been made yet. It is unique in the way that it makes substantial use of national technical documents so that this information becomes available for non-Swedish speakers. Additionally, the perhaps-unique system of industrial competence clusters is presented.
Keywords
Acknowledgements
The author would like to give credit to the founder and driving persons of the SARC initiative, namely, Anders Blom (Director, INNOVAIR), Prof Dan Henningson (KTH), Prof Petter Krus (LiU) and Prof Tomas Grönstedt (Chalmers).
Citation
Staack, I. (2019), "Establishment of the Swedish Aeronautical Research Center (SARC)", Aircraft Engineering and Aerospace Technology, Vol. 91 No. 6, pp. 857-864. https://doi.org/10.1108/AEAT-07-2018-0201
Publisher
:Emerald Publishing Limited
Copyright © 2019, Emerald Publishing Limited