'Fly Your Ideas' Student Competition Focuses On Digital Solutions For Aerospace

Airbus has launched the sixth Fly Your Ideas competition and invites the next generation of innovators to propose and develop original ideas for the aerospace industry. The biennial competition is a celebration of creativity and innovation to solve real industry challenges.

Open to university teams from across the world, including all disciplines from engineering and information technology to marketing and design, the competition is an opportunity for students to unleash their pioneering spirit, working at the cutting edge of digital technology alongside industry experts. Airbus is seeking ideas that could change aerospace in the decades to come and create a safer, cleaner and better-connected world. Since the competition launched in 2008, over 20,000 students from more than 650 universities in over 100 countries have been involved, with this edition expected to be the most exciting yet.

Teams entering Fly Your Ideas go through three competition rounds, with progression to each round presenting an opportunity to further develop their concepts with support from Airbus specialists and mentors. As well as joining Airbus on site to further develop their ideas, up to six finalist teams will compete to share a prize fund of €45,000 (approx. $52,000) and the chance to take their idea forward within the industry.

"This competition enables us to connect with digital native innovators, and apply their energy and enthusiasm to the tremendous possibilities that we are tackling through our own digital transformation," said Marc Fontaine, Digital Transformation Officer for Airbus and sponsor of Fly Your Ideas. "Our industry is entering an era of profound change and huge potential, and I am excited to see how teams will rise to the challenge.”

The 2019 competition asks teams to respond to one of the following challenges: Electrification; Data Services; Cyber Security; Internet of Things; Artificial Intelligence; and Mixed Reality. Since 2012, the competition has been supported by the United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization (UNESCO).

Registrations is open now, and students can already get to work on their creative and digitally-led responses and apply at www.airbus-fyi.com. The live final of Fly Your Ideas will be held in 2019, where students will have the opportunity to showcase their ideas to an audience of industry experts. The journey to the future of aerospace starts here.

(Infographic provided with Airbus news release)

FMI: www.airbus.com