Airbus inaugurates Centre of Excellence to drive sustainable aerospace research at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya

Vadodara – Airbus has inaugurated a Centre of Excellence (CoE) for aerospace studies at the Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya (GSV), India’s unique industry-driven university for the transportation and logistics sector, based in Vadodara, Gujarat.
The Centre marks a significant milestone in the long-term collaboration between Airbus and GSV to strengthen India’s aerospace ecosystem through organic research, innovation and talent development. A key focus area of the CoE would be R&D into Sustainable Aviation Fuel and supporting student-led innovations in future aerospace technologies.
Announced in 2024, the CoE was inaugurated by Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director of Airbus India and South Asia, in the presence of her highness Rajmata Shubhanginiraje Gaekwad, Member of the Court of Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya and Prof. (Dr.) Manoj Choudhary, Vice Chancellor, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya.
Prof. Manoj Choudhary, Vice Chancellor of GSV highlighted, “Under the guidance of our Hon. Chancellor Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw, Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya is converting industry- driven innovation-led vision into reality for building highly skilled human capital and new technologies for the entire transportation and logistics sector. Airbus has been the foremost leader to set up one of its kind Industry-Academia partnership with GSV which has now become a template for the country. The inauguration of the CoE is yet another tangible step to realize our shared mission and partnership for aerospace sector growth in the country, in addition to earlier actions for setting up Airbus Chair Professorship and Airbus Scholarships. This whole of the sector approach envisaged by our Hon. PM Sh. Narendra Modi shall be a key enabler for Viksit Bharat by 2047.”
“The inauguration of this Centre of Excellence at Gati Shakti Vishwavidyalaya marks a milestone in our mission to support the creation of a robust aerospace ecosystem in India. This Centre is a clear demonstration of Airbus’ commitment to R&D and innovation, focusing on groundbreaking technologies that will transform Municipal Solid Waste (MSW) into Sustainable Aviation Fuel (SAF). We are pleased that this collaboration between Airbus and GSV will empower students with the skills to lead overall ecosystem development, shaping India’s future aviation landscape and supporting the Government of India’s Aatmanirbhar Bharat vision,” said Jürgen Westermeier, President and Managing Director, Airbus India and South Asia.
Since 2024, Airbus and GSV have established a holistic partnership aimed at maturing the building blocks of an integrated aerospace ecosystem in India. This collaboration includes a significant commitment to human capital development through a full scholarship programme for 45 meritorious and underprivileged students, with one-third of these scholarships reserved for women. To anchor academic excellence, Airbus has also established a Chair Professor for Aerospace Studies at GSV to support the development of undergraduate, postgraduate, and short-term executive programmes. Additionally, the partnership has expanded into high-impact research with a Joint Study Agreement to develop sustainable aviation solutions. This initiative provides grants for R&D focused on converting MSW into SAF, leveraging GSV’s research capabilities and Airbus’ industrial expertise to create a locally sourced, circular economy for aviation fuel in India. GSV, India’s only University in the Transportation and Logistics sector, was established as a Central University by the Act of Parliament in 2022. Following demand-driven curriculum, the university is mandated to cover the entire transportation sector including Railways, Aviation, Highways, Ports, Maritime, Shipping, Inland Waterways, Urban Transport and complete Logistics and supply chain networks. The university is headed by Sh. Ashwini Vaishnaw (Union Minister for Railways, Information & Broadcasting, Electronics & Information Technology) as the University Chancellor.