A look back at the launch ceremony for the AERODS Centre of Excellence

Following the official launch on 21 January of the three new centres of excellence funded by the DGRIS (Directorate-General for International Relations and Strategy) of the Ministry of the Armed Forces, Toulouse Capitole University organised a launch event for its new AERODS research centre, attended by numerous guests: academic staff, industrial and academic partners, and representatives of local institutions. Our institution also had the honour of welcoming General Jean-Paul Paloméros, former Chief of Staff of the French Air Force and former NATO Supreme Allied Commander Transformation.

Led by Florent Pouponneau, Professor of Political Science at the Toulouse School of Law, part of the University of Toulouse Capitole, the AERODS centre has been accredited and will receive €1.93 million in funding over five years from the Ministry of the Armed Forces. It aims to support the various stakeholders in French aerospace defence policy by analysing the full range of legal, economic, industrial and political constraints that shape their activities. It draws on cross-disciplinary analyses from the fields of political science, law, economics, management and artificial intelligence.

The evening also saw the signing of consortium agreements with the partners of the centre of excellence:

These partnerships will enable AERODS to carry out its research activities and provide relevant expertise. The centre will also facilitate exchanges between defence stakeholders and the academic community through the organisation of workshops, conferences and Chatham House-style seminars.

The evening continued with an exceptional keynote address by General Jean-Paul Paloméros. The former Chief of Staff of the Air and Space Force spoke on the theme ‘Aerospace power in the service of strategic autonomy’. He pointed out that engaging in defence could take many forms, but above all required an approach that was both conscious and circumspect. For him, it is essential to ask the right questions, even if they are uncomfortable, and to cultivate both determination and boldness – values already championed by another general, Charles de Gaulle, who also wanted France to have strategic autonomy.

If Europe is to maintain its position on the international stage, it must now embrace this strategic role. In the face of today’s challenges, the general highlighted the crucial role of strategists and the effectiveness of small, high-performing teams resulting from collaboration between centres of excellence, research organisations and industry, such as AERODS.

Finally, he pointed out that peace and freedom are not something we are simply entitled to, but the result of rigorous preparation, quoting the adage: ‘To have peace, one must prepare for war’.