Airbus Group will hold its "Airnovation Summer Academy" with its partner programme member, the Delft University of Technology (TU Delft), from July 3-8, 2016. The Summer Academy will bring together 40 students as well as faculty and industry experts for a week of innovation in a start-up accelerator model at TU Delft's Faculty of Aerospace Engineering.

Students from 17 nationalities will join this Summer Academy, which is designed to mirror a typical innovation accelerator. Students were chosen based on their academic profile and a video presentation demonstrating the unique contribution they expect to bring to the Academy, including their enthusiasm for innovation and vision for the future of the aerospace sector.

"Such initiatives help us shape our future since they are designed to discover the next generation of innovative engineers," said Thierry Baril, Chief Human Resources Officer of Airbus Group and Airbus. "Here, we are joining a diverse, international and talented group to share ideas and develop innovative solutions for a real-world problem. Students will have the chance to experience innovation within the ecosystem of a major global aerospace business, and to work directly with experts from across Airbus Group during the week. This event brings together the next generation of engineers with our innovation specialists for a unique, inter-generational learning opportunity for all."

The Airnovators are studying at Airbus Group University Partner Programme universities worldwide, including the TU Delft, the Georgia Institute of Technology, ISAE SUPAERO Toulouse, Indian Institute of Science Bangalore, National University of Singapore, University of Bristol and Tsinghua University in China. Nearly 50 percent of this year's Summary Academy participants are female students - an encouraging sign given Airbus Group's focus on diversity.

The students' experience at the Summer Academy will help universities understand first-hand the requirements of industry. At the same time, students will get a direct insight into the skillset needed by future employers such as Airbus Group.

Over the course of the week, students will prototype aerospace concepts and work on a specific project challenge. The programme consists of a dynamic mix of inspiration and skills sessions, including a talk on the trends and technologies disrupting the aeronautics industry right now. The teams will be tasked to innovate on a typical "open-ended" aerospace industry problem, with mentoring from academic and industry experts.

Contributed by Airbus Group