On October 16, 2024, Airbus UpNext and Toshiba Energy Systems & Solutions agreed to cooperate on the research and development of technologies related to hydrogen-powered aircraft.
The agreement between the wholly-owned subsidiary of Airbus and the Toshiba Group company was signed by Airbus’s Senior Vice President and Head of Disruptive R&T, Dr. Grzegorz Ombach, and Toshiba’s Corporate Officer responsible for its Power Systems business, Tsutomu Takeuchi, at Japan Aerospace 2024.
The two companies will aim to co-develop a two-megawatt superconducting motor. “Superconducting technologies offer a unique advantage for these aircraft, using -253°C liquid hydrogen as a fuel but also to efficiently cool the electric propulsion systems,” said the statement.
According to Takeuchi, “Toshiba’s expertise in superconducting technology for high current flow, motor drive technology for precise current control, and advanced rotating machinery technology for stable, high-speed operation, forms a strong foundation for this partnership.”
The new partnership follows Airbus’s May 2024 announcement of a plan to establish Airbus Tech Hub Japan focused on materials, decarbonization, and robotics.
