On 12 December the Ministry of Science, Innovation and Universities hosted the General Assembly of the Spanish Aerospace Technological Platform (PAE). This technological platform acts as a meeting place for debate on Spanish aerospace R&D&I for its 85 members, which are drawn from industry, academia, SMEs and technological research institutes, in short, all those active in both the aeronautics and space sectors.

Current topics of interest were examined during the General Assembly, as were the results of the PAE's activities and its future lines of action.

Worthy of note was the presentation given by Teresa Riesgo, Director General for R&D&I, about the new Spanish Strategy for Science, Technology and Innovation (EECTI 2021-2027), which comes within the programme entitled Horizon Europe (FP9). In addition, Carlos Mataix, Director of the Human Development Technologies Centre of the Universidad Politecnica of Madrid, and Juan Carlos Cortés, director of Space, Large Facilities and Dual Programmes at the Centre for Industrial Technological Development (CDTI), were entrusted with the task of presenting, respectively, the Sustainable Development Objectives 2030 (ODSeina) and the results of the ESA's Ministers Space19+ Conference held in November.

Marian Ferre, Head of the Sub-Division of Scientific-Technical Themed Programmes of the State Research Agency, closed the first part of the Assembly with a presentation on the work of the entity entrusted with managing public funds for R&D&I.

The second part of the Assembly was dedicated to the presentation of the Strategic Agenda for Research, Development and Innovation in Aeronautics 2019-2030 (AEIA). This laid down certain objectives that focused on obtaining increased competitiveness in this sector involving all actors, the aim being to generate a consistent and solid value chain.

In addition, elections to decide the new Steering Committee of the PAE took place at the Assembly. 67 of the 75 member entities voted in these elections and GMV received the votes of 86% of the Assembly.

The General Assembly 2019 of the PAE was closed by the Minister of Science, Innovation and Universities, Pedro Duque.

From left to right, representatives of the new Steering Committee of the PAE: Fernando Lasagni (FADA/CATEC), Pedro Pablo Sánchez (AERTEC Solutions), Plácido Márquez (ITP Aero), Jose Agustín Salaberría (ACITURRI), Virgilio Díaz (UC3M), Guillermo Monzón (INDRA), Jorge Potti (GMV), Silvia Lazcano (AIRBUS), Javier Canales (EHU), Ignacio Tourné (DEIMOS Space), Begoña Canflanca (TECNALIA), Eusebio Monzó (UPV), José Luis Simón (CTA), Cristina Cuerno (UPM) and Jacinto Tortosa FIDAMC.