Warning This site is not recommended for Internet Explorer browsers. Please use another web browser to get a better experience.

Teaming up to innovate

Safran draws on a long tradition of ambitious research partnerships with major manufacturers, key institutions and laboratories around the world in different technology fields. The aim is to encourage shared innovation and expertise, create strong networks and facilitate the emergence of new solutions. These partnerships are based on agreements that involve several participants or on the creation of joint laboratories. Today, 30 partnerships are strategically important in light of the major scientific and technology challenges the Group is facing.

"The R&T partnerships are key drivers for building Safran's future. They support the technology roadmaps and ensure strong scientific resources on key topics early on in the process."
Benoit Guyon, R&T partnerships director, Safran

Multiple partnerships to create an innovation ecosystem

450
partners with a scientific and/or technology contribution
30
"strategic" partnerships for Safran's R&T plan
3
scientific sponsorship chairs

What if you innovated at Safran?

In 2013, the Group set up an open innovation drive in liaison with the R&T-Innovation and Purchasing teams. The goal is to jointly develop tomorrow's aviation products by drawing on a varied and multi-disciplinary ecosystem of start-ups and small and medium-sized companies, both in France and internationally. Supported by a Safran in-house structure, this collaboration stimulates collective intelligence by respecting each individual's intellectual property. Safran has set up an active network of open innovation ambassadors across all the Group’s companies. The open innovation network is being built up in partnership with Safran Corporate Ventures, the Group's investment subsidiary, financing start-ups that have developed disruptive technology or business models applicable to the aviation and defense sectors.

Safran Explore: new challenges for startups

As part of its open innovation strategy, Safran is soliciting startups from around the world with an avant-garde program: Safran Explore. After a successful first call for ideas in the field of hydrogen, the Group has identified new themes, which are all areas of innovation.

UNITY Business Class Passenger Seat

Safran Explore Flying Experience

Safran has launched Safran Explore Flying Experience. Four challenges have been identified: from equipment manufacturing to passenger and crew comfort, they relate, for example, to the use of more responsible materials, to improved maintenance or in-flight connectivity. 

Find out more and apply
Employee working on 3D loom

Safran Explore Canada

Another initiative that specifically targets Canadian startups: Safran Explore Canada. Via Centech, which is among the top 10 accelerators in North America, Safran is launching new challenges to startups on the subjects of artificial intelligence, industry 4.0, robotization, “newspace” and more broadly decarbonization. 

Find out more and apply

Safran Corporate Ventures, Safran's investment subsidiary

Established in 2015, Safran Corporate Ventures is the Group's investment subsidiary tasked with financing startups that have developed disruptive technology or business models applicable to the aviation and defense sectors. Safran Corporate Ventures (SCV) was created to connect Safran to the ecosystem of young innovative companies in the aviation, space and defense sectors.