The Closing Conference of the AVIONIC Project – Creative Digital Teaching and Learning for Green Air Transport and Logistics took place on 19 September 2025 at the Escuela Técnica Superior de Ingeniería Aeronáutica y del Espacio, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. The event gathered consortium partners, academics, students, and representatives of the aviation industry, marking the successful conclusion of three years of European collaboration dedicated to advancing digital and sustainable education in air transport.
The day opened with welcome remarks by Univ. Prof. Morris Villaroel Robinson, Vicerector Deputy for ELISSA and European Projects, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, alongside Univ. Prof. Rosa Arnaldo (ETSIAE-UPM) and Univ. Prof. Sorin Eugen Zaharia (AVIONIC Project Director, Politehnica Bucharest). Their speeches highlighted the importance of academic–industry collaboration in shaping a greener future for aviation.
A highlight of the program was the keynote speech delivered by Eduardo Sánchez Aira, Former Iberia Safety Manager, who shared inspiring insights on the future of digital and green skills in aeronautics, underlining the role of innovation and training in ensuring a sustainable and safe air transport sector.
The program further included:
- Thematic presentations on digitalization in air transport, sustainability, and collaboration with industry;
- A panel discussion moderated by Univ. Prof. Rosa Arnaldo, which brought together distinguished panelists: Univ. Prof. Bertrand Rose (University of Strasbourg), Univ. Prof. Sorin Eugen Zaharia (Politehnica Bucharest), Univ. Prof. Maria Zamarreño (Universidad Politécnica de Madrid), Cristian Ionescu (Station Manager Otopeni, Menzies Aviation), Nicolas Suarez (Technical Manager, CRIDA), and Guillermo Martin (student, Universidad Politécnica de Madrid). The debate focused on key themes such as the digitalization of air transport, sustainability and the uptake of results, strengthening collaboration with industry, and opportunities for future European projects.
- Live demonstrations of the AVIONICLearn platform and pilot training modules, offering participants the chance to explore the project’s innovative educational tools;
- Interactive activities that showcased the impact of new technologies on aviation education and the training of future professionals.
The team of the National University of Science and Technology Politehnica Bucharest contributed actively, presenting the flight simulator, the AVIONICLearn application, and interactive educational games, in collaboration with other universities and partners who demonstrated the project’s main achievements.
The conference concluded with acknowledgements and a networking session, reinforcing the collaborative spirit that has defined the AVIONIC project.
We extend our warm gratitude to our hosts at Universidad Politécnica de Madrid, to all partners, and to every participant for their active involvement and valuable contributions to the success of this European project.
