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IP Paris and ONERA join forces for aeronautics, space, and defense

04 Nov. 2025
The Institut Polytechnique de Paris, including École Polytechnique and ENSTA, and the Office National d’Etudes et de Recherche (ONERA) have signed a strategic partnership to develop aeronautics, space, and defense (ASD). The institutions are pooling their expertise in mechanics, physics, and digital technology to create a French center of excellence in the field of ASD. The agreement provides for the creation of a joint research institute in mechanics and training through research via joint IP Paris-ONERA research teams.
IP Paris and ONERA join forces for aeronautics, space, and defense
IP Paris, École Polytechnique, and ONERA signed a strategic partnership agreement for the development of aeronautics, space, and defense on November 3, 2025 - credits: École Polytechnique-J.Barande

Create a French center of global excellence in the field of aeronautics, space, and defense (ASD). This is the objective of the partnership that the Institut Polytechnique de Paris and two of its member schools—École Polytechnique and ENSTA—signed on November 3, 2025, with the French National Office for Aerospace Studies and Research (ONERA). Under this four-year framework agreement, the partners will develop joint, interdisciplinary research activities in mechanics, physics, and digital technology applied to the ASD sector.

The partnership builds on the many existing synergies in the mechanical sciences and encourages the sharing of tools and facilities between the signatories. The collaboration is part of a move to consolidate ONERA's activities in Palaiseau. The Office has also planned the construction of a building dedicated to aerodynamics, aeroelasticity, and acoustics, in the immediate vicinity of the Mechanics Center (which includes four laboratories under the supervision of École Polytechnique and ENSTA).

World-class research

In line with this dynamic, the partners aim to create a joint mechanical engineering research institute. The new institute will bring together several hundred researchers and doctoral students, as well as significant experimental and digital resources, strengthening and expanding the partners' already substantial expertise.

Building on these strengths, its mission will be to address the major challenges of mechanical science research for the ASD sector, while fully integrating energy and environmental issues. In addition to mechanics, the IP Paris-ONERA partnership strengthens scientific cooperation in the fields of physics and digital technology, two priority areas for the ASD sector. It will facilitate the implementation of new joint projects, in particular through co-supervised theses on high-potential topics (detection, photonics, embedded AI, etc.).

Attracting top-level students

Finally, the partnership emphasizes training through research and attracting top-level students in shared fields of study. To this end, the signatories undertake to jointly fund research work within the framework of new joint teams.

These IPPOC Teams (Institut Polytechnique de Paris – ONERA Common Teams) will aim to strengthen research on high-potential topics and involve all relevant researchers in the development of the planned training program for students. The aim will be to develop joint projects in the defense sector, in synergy with the Defense Innovation Agency (AID).

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