Safran and the EIC: How a corporate day hunts materials and recycling tech for sustainable aviation
- ›On 15 and 16 March 2023 Safran and the European Innovation Council co-hosted a Corporate Day where 11 EIC beneficiaries pitched technologies on carbon capture and recycling.
- ›Safran is actively scouting materials and processes for More Electric Aircraft, sinter-based powder metallurgy, electric applications and recycling loops.
- ›Safran prefers engagements with startups at roughly TRL 3, starts with NDAs and collaborative evaluation, and can move into R&D agreements that define IP, budgets and investments.
- ›The EIC provides Safran with fast access to a curated portfolio of European SMEs, and around 80 percent of participants were judged to have potential applications to Safran projects.
- ›Safran advises startups to demonstrate strong technological mastery and a clear breakthrough versus conventional solutions, and to be ready for long corporate development and certification paths.
Safran and the EIC: corporate scouting for safer, more sustainable aviation
In mid March 2023 the European Innovation Council and Safran, a major aerospace and defence equipment group, ran a two day Corporate Day to connect Safran teams with European innovators. Eleven EIC beneficiaries presented solutions focused on carbon capture and recycling. After the event the EIC Community spoke with Pierre Sallot, Team Lead Manager and Expert for Materials and Processes at Safran, about what the company is looking for and how it approaches open innovation.
The event in brief
The Corporate Day took place on 15 and 16 March 2023. Eleven EIC-backed companies pitched technologies with an emphasis on carbon capture and recycling. Safran used the event to screen new suppliers and to identify possible fits with its internal roadmaps for more electric aircraft and other product lines.
Who at Safran is doing the scouting and why it matters
Pierre Sallot leads a team focused on materials and processes for the Safran Group. His remit covers the development and maturity improvement of new aeronautics materials. Current priorities include sinter based powder metallurgy processes and materials for electric applications. The work feeds into wider Safran objectives such as More Electric Aircraft and improving sustainability through advanced recycling and rare earth reduction.
Technical priorities Safran is scouting
Sallot outlined several concrete technical areas Safran is actively seeking to advance. These include materials and manufacturing processes that can be scaled and integrated into aerospace product lines while improving environmental performance.
How Safran approaches open innovation and startup partnerships
Safran seeks suppliers and partners whose technology is technically relevant and aligned with the company values, especially around eco friendly materials and processes. The group looks for companies that can fit into Safran roadmaps and contribute to product level improvements. When evaluating startups Safran focuses on technical skills, the strength of the proposed business case and a realistic roadmap to industrialisation.
The usual engagement sequence starts with a non disclosure agreement and collaborative testing where Safran and the startup share evaluation activities. If the match is promising Safran moves to more structured R&D agreements. These agreements set out how intellectual property is handled, budgets, possible investments and the division of work. The aim is a win win setting where both partners can scale.
| Stage | Typical content | What Safran looks for |
| Initial contact | Pitch, preliminary discussions | Technical relevance and potential application |
| NDA and collaborative evaluation | Confidential exchanges and joint testing | TRL around 3, technical evidence and early prototypes |
| Structured R&D agreement | Defined scope, budget, roles and IP terms | Clear roadmap, milestones and mutual benefits |
| Deeper partnership or investment | Longer term development, possible supply contracts | Scalability, certification path and industrial fit |
Why Safran works with the EIC and what it expects
Sallot highlighted the EIC as a practical gateway to a broad set of European SMEs. The EIC’s portfolio made it easier to surface potential suppliers. After reviewing the Corporate Day participants Safran judged that roughly 80 percent had potential applications for Safran projects. The EIC’s role in curating and accelerating connections saves time for corporate scouts who otherwise would need to do more dispersed outreach.
Concrete outcomes from the Corporate Day
Safran identified several promising companies from the event. The Open Innovation team has already initiated non disclosure agreements with about four or five EIC funded firms to explore potential matches further. These early steps are the start of the usual evaluation to see if development agreements and deeper collaboration make sense.
Advice from Safran to startups wanting to engage
Pierre Sallot advised startups to come prepared. Safran has many product lines beyond aeronautics so innovators should be ready to explain which specific application fits their technology. Startups must show mastery of their technology and demonstrate where their solution delivers a clear breakthrough over existing approaches. This is important because large corporates must invest time and engineering resources to integrate new technologies into certified products.
Caveats and realistic expectations for startups
Working with a major aerospace group can unlock scale but also poses challenges. Certification cycles, long procurement timelines and demanding qualification tests mean that even promising technologies can take years to reach aircraft integration. Intellectual property negotiation often becomes complex when corporate R&D funding is involved. Startups should plan for long development horizons and be clear on what they can and cannot share early on.
Implications for the sector and final observations
The Corporate Day illustrates how large industrial players are using curated public innovation programmes to feed in new materials and processes that promise environmental and performance gains. The combination of corporate roadmaps that demand specific technical properties and the EIC pipeline of SMEs is practical. However, matching technological promise to industrial reality requires rigorous testing, funding for mid stage development and patient timelines. Publicly visible events are useful starting points but they do not remove the harder tasks of scale up and certification.
For startups, the path to working with corporates such as Safran starts with a well defined technical demonstration, a clear business case and readiness to negotiate IP and commercial terms. For corporates, the EIC offers a faster route to screen potential suppliers, but integrating novel materials into aerospace products will remain resource intensive.
Next steps and where to find more
Startups seeking connections with large corporates can consult the EIC Business Acceleration Services event calendar to find upcoming Corporate Days and matchmaking opportunities. Events can help get an NDA in place and begin the collaborative evaluation that might lead to R&D partnerships.
Disclaimer: This information is provided in the interest of knowledge sharing and should not be interpreted as the official view of the European Commission or any other organisation.