If we mention decarbonization, innovation, and thermoplastic composites, what comes to mind?
At Mines Saint-Étienne, the common denominator between these three concepts is an electric aircraft.
In 2025, the School and the Saint-Étienne-based start-up Eenuee created a joint research laboratory to support the development of a 19-passenger electric aircraft capable of flights of approximately 500 km.
The joint laboratory DISC-AER (Decarbonization through the Industrialization of Thermoplastic Composite Solutions for Regional Electric Aviation) is directed by Sylvain Drapier (professor and researcher at the SMS center) and funded by the French National Research Agency (ANR) to the amount of €360,000.
Designed for regional routes, the electric aircraft developed by eenuee will be able to take off and land on very short runways on land, grass, and water. It thus promises the development of silent and sustainable regional aviation. This lifting-body aircraft will consume 11 times less energy than a conventional aircraft of the same size. Benjamin Persiani, CEO of eenuee, anticipates a first flight in 2033.
For Jacques Fayolle, the launch of the LabCom anchors Mines Saint-Étienne’s strategy, which places ecological transition at the heart of its missions: this electric aircraft is a decarbonization solution for the aviation sector and more generally for our practices. The LabCom DISC-AER also illustrates the School’s transition toward a private funding model by mobilizing new resources from companies and developing innovation partnerships with them.
