Introduction

VIVACE sets out to address one or more of the "Vision 2020" objectives that were formulated by ACARE, the "Advisory Council for Aeronautics Research in Europe"
(ACARE defined five major strategic goals that need to be achieved by 2020 to provide more affordable, cleaner, safer and more secure air travel - "Cheaper and passenger friendly air travel" - "Reduction of atmospheric emissions" - "Reduction of Noise" - "Enhanced safety and Security" - "Increased capacity and efficiency of the Air Transport System"). See http://www.aecma.org/Publications/ACARE_meta1.htm for more information.

VIVACE is also a manifestation of the European Commission's desire to fund cutting-edge research in the Aeronautical sector as expressed in the STAR 21 ("Strategic Aerospace Review for the 21st Century") report. You will find this report at http://www.aecma.org/Publications/STAR_21_meta.htm

In particular, VIVACE intends to achieve a 5% cost reduction in aircraft development and a
5% reduction of the development phase of a new aircraft design combined with a contribution to a 30% reduction in the lead time and 50% reduction in development costs for a new or derivative gas turbine. The results will be achieved through a re-engineering and optimisation of the entire design process by modelling and simulating in an advanced concurrent engineering environment.

VIVACE consists of three technical sub-projects:

Virtual Aircraft - a specific global product work area that develops the different elements of the aircraft, and works around the products for design, modelling, interfacing and testing.

Virtual Engine - a specific global product work area that develops the different engine modules of the aircraft propulsion system and key areas of multidisciplinary optimisation, knowledge management and collaborative enterprises.

Advanced Capabilities - a key integrating work area that develops common tools, methodologies and guidelines to be shared amongst the developments in the previous two work areas and provides for further integration of these two.

Much of the development in these three areas will build upon the methods, tools and techniques explored and validated during a previous European Commission funded project ENHANCE (Enhanced Aeronautical Concurrent Engineering). For further information on this project see ENHANCE Project

Being a European Integrated Project in Framework 6, Vivace aims to define the future European Aeronautical Collaborative Design Environment. The outputs will be enabling processes, models and tools available for use in this environment in the second half of this decade. The main result of VIVACE will be an Aeronautical Collaborative Design Environment and associated processes, models and methods. This environment will support the design of an aircraft and its engines in its entirety by providing to the aeronautics supply chain in an extended enterprise, virtual products having all requested functionality and components for each phase of the product engineering life cycle.

The VIVACE tools will provide the European Aeronautics Industry with the best knowledge possible about the complete product prior to its development, thus reducing the final cost of the product and accelerating the response time to market.

The three sub-projects are linked as shown in the diagram below with "transverse" activities pulling together a coherent approach for the overall project.

More detailed descriptions (in PowerPoint format) of the objectives for the workpackages within each sub-project can be found by making the link to aircraft, engine and advanced capabilities.

In addition to populating this website, the project will publicly disseminate its results by holding 3 annual forums, the first of which is planned for autumn 2005 and by presenting its work at relevant conferences and Aeronautical gatherings such as trade shows, air shows, standards events, national and regional trade association meetings etc. The needs of third tier suppliers will be addressed by formally involving a representative group of these from the 18 month point onwards in the project - they will be expected to suggest customisation and then provide validation of the VIVACE outputs from their perspective.