The EASA’s Scientific Committee (SciComm) has been established to provide advice to the EASA Executive Director on scientific issues that may influence the future development of the EASA expertise in scientific and technical domains linked to research, innovation, and disruptive technologies. Furthermore, the group will advise the Executive Director as regards processes in aviation that may impact Aviation Safety, Environmental Protection, Security, and Aviation Health Safety.
Advice from the SciComm will help EASA to adapt its strategic competence and business model development needs to accompany societal, environmental, and technological transformations.
The Committee may additionally provide the scientific related support for the preparation of EASA Webinars on innovative/disruptive technologies and other events linked to innovative/disruptive concepts.
Members of the SciComm
The SciComm Members are appointed by the EASA Executive Director based on the list of independent external experts maintained by EASA as a result of Call(s) for Expression of Interest EASA.2019.CEI.14. Members were chosen for their expertise, being mostly of academic nature, with direct access to universities, Academia and PhD networks.
EASA evaluated their competences to ensure commitment to the furthering of safety, environmental protection, security, research, innovation and aviation health safety activities through an adequate coverage and balance in terms of:
- Academic and/or Industrial expertise;
- Range of views and competencies within the scientific community (i.e. coverage of the most relevant scientific fields linked to the needs of the EASA activities);
- Experience in a range of relevant research and innovation activities with publications and/or public appearances, or PhD schemes
In December 2021, EASA appointed the following chairman and members for the Committee for a duration of three years in their personal capacity:
Prof. Dr. Peter Hecker,
Chairman of SciComm
Dr. Nicholas Asher
Prof. Frances Brazier
Prof. Marianna Jacyna
Prof. Martin Kaltschmitt
Prof. Christiane Schmidt
Prof. Nicole Viola
Prof. Marco Lovera
Dr. Torben Hovald
Work programme and reporting
The SciComm Chairperson is coordinating the yearly work programme and activities with the EASA Chief Engineer.
Work programme 2022
Three themes have been selected by EASA for the SciComm work programme in 2022:
- Artificial Intelligence: provide advice on development of AI Level 2 guidance.
- Trends regarding weather-related hazards: provide advice on the impact of climate change on weather-related hazards for commercial aeroplanes.
- Support the launch of EASA PhD Scheme and contribute to the assessment of abstracts as well as to the organisation of the related public event.
Reporting
A collective report on the SciComm inputs and advices will be provided to the EASA Executive Director on an annual basis.