WASHINGTON — Boeing Co. and its Brazilian rival, Embraer S.A., announced Tuesday that they will collaborate to test technologies to reduce carbon emissions and noise from airplanes.
The companies, among the world’s largest airplane manufacturers, signed an agreement to work together on a Boeing project, called ecoDemonstrator, that uses Boeing’s flying platforms as test beds for new technologies that will reduce emissions and noise. Under the agreement, Embraer will join the four-year-old effort next year, using its own platforms for the testing. Two companies will create a joint research and development team over next year.
“It’s the first time that we’ve used the other manufacturer’s aircraft going forward in the program,” said Marc Allen, president of Boeing International, at the third annual Brazil-U.S. Business Summit. “That’s a very big milestone for us and our industry.”
As part of Boeing’s environmental strategy, the ecoDemonstrator was launched by Boeing in 2011. So far, it has tested more than 50 technologies on various Boeing platforms, including an American Airlines 737-800 and a 757 with TUI Group and NASA.
“It’s great to have somebody else to bring their own experience, especially somebody like Boeing,” said Frederico Curado, president and CEO of Embraer.
According to Curado, Tuesday’s agreement was built on their 2012 collaboration agreement. Since then, the manufacturers worked together to improve runway safety and support one of Embraer’s defense aircraft program. Earlier this year, the two manufacturers opened a joint biofuel research center in Brazil, which performs research and coordinates research with Brazilian academic institutions.
Curado said said the collaboration can stimulate the cooperation of other industries and other sectors of the economy.
Published in conjunction with 