On March 13, a visit by the ICAO Council, led by the Organization’s Secretary General, took place at the headquarters and facilities of the National Research Council Canada (NRC) in Ottawa.
During the visit, NRC representatives presented several projects focused on innovation and safety in the aerospace sector—from drones to electric aircraft, from studies on atmospheric and meteorological phenomena to those on CO₂ emissions and noise—and participants were able to access wind tunnels, research laboratories, and some experimental aircraft.
The National Research Council Canada is part of the International Forum for Aviation Research (IFAR), the only global network of publicly funded aeronautical research institutes. Founded in 2010, the Forum operates on a voluntary and non-binding basis to facilitate collaboration on key scientific and technical issues for aviation. Italy is represented by CIRA – the Italian Aerospace Research Centre.
ICAO and IFAR signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in April 2022 to enhance mutual cooperation and information sharing, with particular attention to promoting innovation and sustainable development in international civil aviation, while maintaining a strong emphasis on safety, security, and environmental sustainability.
The shared objective is to ensure, through scientific evaluation, international cooperation, and alignment between research and regulation, the safe, sustainable, and timely integration of new technologies, as well as robust regulatory processes suited to the sector’s continuous evolution.