The Official College of Aeronautical Engineers of Spain (COIAE) celebrated its fiftieth anniversary last year. It is currently a Public Law corporation, with national scope, with its own legal personality and full capacity to fulfil its purposes, governed by its Statutes and the applicable Legal Regulations, relating to the Administration through the Ministry of Public Works and Transport. Around 2,800 aeronautical engineers are members of the association.
Safety, innovation and competitiveness are the three fundamental pillars that aeronautical engineers bring to the industry.
The aeronautical engineer plays a key role in the industry and in air transport safety.. He is responsible for the management and development of all branches of aeronautical engineering: air operations and airlines, consultancy, design, certification, manufacture and maintenance of aircraft and engines, space development, as well as air navigation and airports, both in their construction and management. Its role provides a global vision which has been expanding over the years, not only for the aeronautical industry, but also for other developments and applications in related sectors.
Its importance is vital, and for this reason, in these fifty years the priority of the Association has been and continues to be to defend the rights of aeronautical engineers and promote this sector for purposes such as regulating free competition, defending the interests of the profession or advising society and public authorities on aspects related to the Spanish aeronautical sector, always in a constructive and sensible spirit. We must continue to promote the improvement of aeronautical engineering as a regulator of the activity, as an aid for entrepreneurs, as support for the whole group, as a collaborator with the authorities or as a link between university and business.
The future requires us to be more immersed in an increasingly complex, global and competitive world. We believe there are three aspects that need to be boosted in the face of these challenges: security, innovation and competitivenessThese are the three fundamental pillars that the aeronautical engineer brings to the industry. Safety and safety culture in operations, as an absolute priority. Innovation, as the fundamental asset to achieve essential advances in the sector, and which must undoubtedly be supported by R&D, whose investment is necessary for Spain not to be left behind. And finally, competitiveness, highlighting the need to generate developments and work with which we can compete, not only in terms of quality but also in terms of price.
Spain is capable of doing great things in aeronautical terms. Few countries, for example, can develop an entire aircraft from scratch. We must not lose this. From the College we once requested a major national strategic plan in Spain for the aeronautics sector.
Estefania Matesanz
Dean of the Official College of Aeronautical Engineers of Spain, COIAE
