Airbus's UpNext subsidiary is to launch a project with the European Laboratory for Particle Physics (CERN) to look into how superconductivity can promote "decarbonisation of future aircraft systems".
The tie-up is the latest in a series of so-called "clean aviation" projects announced this week by the French manufacturer, which is hosting an annual summit.
UpNext and CERN are to work on a socalled Super-Conductor for Aviation with Low Emissions (SCALE) demonstrator they said "aims to promote the adaptation and adoption of superconducting technologies in airborne electrical distribution systems".
“Our technologies have the potential to be adapted to the needs of future clean transportation and mobility solutions, as demonstrated by this agreement with Airbus," said Raphael Bello, CERN’s director of finance and human resources.