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Trinity College Dublin, in partnership with Ryanair, EU’s greenest airline, announced the launch of a new Ryanair Sustainable Aviation Research Centre in April 2021.

This landmark initiative – the first of its kind in Ireland – has been made possible by a €1.5m donation which Trinity will use to seed a multi-disciplinary research team to engage in research around 1) sustainable aviation fuels, 2) zero carbon aircraft propulsion systems and 3) noise mapping.

This new knowledge will inform the policies of both EU and international governments on making aviation environmentally and economically sustainable, as well as harness future investments by the aviation industry towards sustainability. The project, which will employ six people, commenced in Summer 2021.

Sustainability and low carbon technologies are a key focus of researchers from a range of disciplines at Trinity and this new partnership will sit within Trinity’s E3 – the Engineering, Environment and Emerging Technologies initiative, which is tackling complex, global problems, such as those faced by the aviation industry.

Researchers at the centre will develop sustainable solutions for an industry striving towards a profitable, carbon-neutral future, with greener offerings for jet-setters and a liveable planet for all.

Ryanair believes that aviation must play a leading role in addressing climate change and is placing an increased emphasis on mitigating how its business impacts the environment.

By 2030, Ryanair’s goal is to power 12.5% of its flights with sustainable aviation fuels. This together with investment in new “Gamechanger” aircraft, will significantly reduce its CO2 and noise footprint over the next decade.