Paul Gourtay and Laora Malet, winners of the USAIRE Student Awards 2023

The USAIRE Student Awards were created by USAIRE, the United States and European Aerospace Industry Representative. Created 18 years ago, the Student Awards aim to boost relations between the major players in the aerospace sector and young people.

In 2023, 110 students of 32 different nationalities took part in the challenge. The vast majority of these teams were engineers. 10 finalist teams were selected to produce a report on the Paris Air Show (Salon du Bourget) 2035.

The competitors had the chance to attend special visits to Boeing, Embraer, Airbus and MBDA during the 2023 Paris Air Show. Finally, a jury of professionals from Airbus, Air-France KLM, the Agence de l'Innovation pour les Transports (AIT), the Direction Générale de l'Armement (DGA), Dassault, MBDA, Safran, Raytheon, GIFAS and Aviation Légère de l'Armée de Terre, among others, awarded prizes to 5 teams.

The subject invited reflection on the future of aeronautics and space in the context of the current global climate and geopolitical crisis. As a dual-use industry, both civil and military, the aeronautics industry must at the same time meet the military technological challenges imposed by space exploration, the emergence of new players and new threats, while taking into account its fundamental role in the ecological transition.

The Paris Air Show is a historic meeting place for the world of aeronautics, and has been held every two years since 1909. By bringing together civilian and professional visitors, for business and pleasure, it represents a snapshot of the aeronautics and space sectors in France and around the world. So for us, imagining the Paris Air Show in 2035 meant offering a perspective on what it will say about the aerospace world in 2035, and how it can showcase French and European companies and expertise.

The multidisciplinary nature of our training at Sciences Po, and its focus on public policy issues, helped us to grasp the challenges of the subject as a whole.

We tried to offer a vision of the world of the aeronautics industry applied to the practical organisation of a trade show, including new technologies such as artificial intelligence and digital twins. Our aim is to provide technical and commercial solutions, as well as strategic alternatives, to the new challenges facing France, Europe and their industries.

Beyond the exceptional awards offered, the USAIRE Student Awards represent a fantastic opportunity for us to gain recognition in the professional aeronautical world, which is often dominated by more engineering-oriented profiles.

Likewise, being a finalist in the award means being able to join the Organisation des Rencontres Aéronautiques de la Jeunesse (ORAJe), a youth version of USAIRE. The association benefits from numerous partnerships enabling its members to extend their professional network while taking part in prestigious events and meetings.