eVTOLUTION
eVTOLUTION

Press release

eVTOLUTION: Pioneering the Future of Urban Air Mobility

10th February 2025, Sint-Genesius-Rode, Belgium 

The Horizon Europe project eVTOLUTION hosted its first public workshop, "Novel Tools for Novel Aircraft”, on February 6, 2025, at the GKN Technology Center in Bristol, UK. At this milestone event, project partners presented the initial outcomes of their work and outlined their plans for the next stages of the project. eVTOLUTION is the first Horizon Europe project aimed at enabling an efficient, decarbonized, safe and quiet Urban Air Mobility (UAM).


With a strong emphasis on energy management, noise reduction, cooling systems, regulatory compliance, and certification frameworks, the eVTOLUTION project focuses on improving both the scientific and practical aspects of electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) aircraft. By harnessing state-of-the-art digital design and optimization techniques, the project seeks to transform the aircraft development process, addressing the needs of an emerging, environmentally friendly transport system.


The project, a low-to-mid Technology Readiness Level (TRL) enabler, aims to develop knowledge, data, tools, and methods to optimize aerodynamic and aeroacoustic effects. Its primary goal is to implement a novel design and optimization framework based on:

  1. Utilizing low-, mid-, and high-fidelity simulation methods.
  2. Accelerating optimizations with data-driven surrogate models and physical models.
  3. Enhancing design accuracy and robustness through advanced cross-validation and machine-learning methodologies.

This innovative approach will significantly reduce aircraft development time, improve the accuracy of predictions, and help engineers tackle noise issues while ensuring the highest levels of safety and performance. By focusing on enhancing aerodynamics and reducing noise emissions, eVTOLUTION is committed to mitigating the noise pollution traditionally associated with air travel, ensuring that these future aircraft blend seamlessly into urban environments.


The eVTOLUTION consortium brings together leading experts from various European institutions, both academic and industrial, including the von Karman Institute for Fluid Dynamics (Belgium), TU Delft (Netherlands), Politecnico di Torino (Italy), University of RomaTre (Italy), DLR (Germany), Vrije Universiteit Brussel (Belgium), University of Bristol (UK), Vertical Aerospace (UK), and GKN Aerospace (UK), ESDU (UK), Mejzlik Propellers (CZ), and Heathrow Airport (UK)


Funded by Horizon Europe Research and Innovation Action (Grant Agreement No 101138209).


For more information, please contact: Maria Teresa Ramandi, maria.teresa.ramandi@vki.ac.be

eVTOLUTION