NATIONAL AVIATION UNIVERSITY

Their core work

National Aviation University (NAU) in Kyiv is Ukraine's leading aerospace-focused university, contributing aeronautical engineering expertise to European research consortia. Their H2020 work centers on aviation noise reduction, supersonic aircraft design, and satellite navigation (EGNSS) applications. They bring specific capabilities in multidisciplinary optimization of supersonic transport aircraft, combustion emissions modeling, and noise impact assessment for landing and take-off operations. As a major Ukrainian technical university, they serve as a bridge connecting Eastern European aerospace knowledge with EU research programs.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

NAU's H2020 trajectory shows a clear shift from broad participation toward deep technical specialization. Their earliest involvement (2015-2016) focused on satellite navigation awareness and EGNSS adoption in Ukraine — a capacity-building role. From 2017 onward, they pivoted firmly into aeronautics: first general aviation noise and research coordination (ANIMA, PARE), then advancing into the technically demanding field of supersonic aircraft emissions and noise by 2021 with SENECA.

NAU is moving toward high-performance supersonic transport research — a niche that will grow as Europe revisits civil supersonic flight, making them a relevant partner for next-generation aircraft programs.

How they like to work

NAU operates exclusively as a participant, never as coordinator — typical for a non-EU country institution in H2020. With 52 unique consortium partners across 17 countries from just 4 projects, they join large, multi-partner consortia rather than small focused teams. This broad network suggests they are well-integrated into European aeronautics research circles despite being based outside the EU.

Despite only 4 projects, NAU has built connections with 52 partners across 17 countries — an unusually wide network indicating participation in large European aeronautics consortia. Their geographic reach spans well beyond their Eastern European base into core EU aviation research countries.

What sets them apart

NAU is one of very few Ukrainian institutions with sustained participation in European aeronautics research, offering a direct link to Ukraine's significant aerospace engineering tradition and talent pool. Their combination of supersonic aircraft expertise with noise and emissions modeling is a rare skill set, particularly valuable as European interest in civil supersonic flight revives. For consortium builders, they offer competitive engineering capabilities at favorable cost structures compared to Western European partners.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SENECA
  Directly addresses supersonic civil aircraft noise and emissions — a forward-looking topic as Europe explores next-generation high-speed transport.
• ANIMA
  Large-scale aviation noise impact management project (2017-2021) connecting NAU to the core European aviation noise research community.
• PARE
  Strategic project mapping the future of European aeronautical research, giving NAU visibility across the continent's aviation R&D landscape.