Welcome by ICAS

It is with great pleasure that we invite you to participate in the 34th Congress of the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences (ICAS). ICAS was established in 1957 under the leadership of Professor Theodore von Kármán. Today ICAS continues to support the work of aerospace professional Member Societies around the world. Through Associate Memberships, ICAS brings together aerospace companies, national laboratories and educational institutions.

The 2024 ICAS Congress will be held in Florence, Italy, from 9 to 13 September 2024: we will be hosted by one of the premier aerospace nations in a city famed for its creativity since Renaissance times. In Florence we will build on the great success of the 2022 Stockholm Congress, where our global aerospace community was able to meet face-to-face for the first time in four years and reflect on the momentous events of 2020-2022. The Stockholm programme was boosted by the invited participation of leading researchers, designers, managers and policymakers who were able to share their strategic vision for the future of aerospace with our delegates: the same will happen in Florence, as our world faces challenges which were unimaginable in 2022, while continuing to strive for a sustainable future.

The ICAS Congress has three distinctive characteristics: it is multi-disciplinary, recognising that major advances must involve experts working together across a range of specialisms; it recognises that social interaction and conviviality are essential ingredients of knowledge exchange, and are enhanced by selecting culturally rich settings for our Congresses; and it offers unparalleled opportunities for early career researchers to develop their network and to make a real contribution to international collaboration. The unique atmosphere of an ICAS Congress builds life-long collaboration, mutual understanding and international friendship, while sending a strong message to society that our global community is working together to solve global challenges.

For 2024 we particularly welcome papers which cross over between the traditional topic areas listed later in this call, and which bring in ideas from other sectors, especially novel concepts in energy, control, materials and the increased gathering and use of data, particularly where the certification of these disruptive technologies is addressed.

We very much look forward to seeing you in Florence in 2024 and to hearing about your contribution to solving the challenges facing our industry, be it novel ideas or new ways of working. Please respond to this Call for Papers and share your latest work at our biannual celebration of the aeronautical science, innovation and creativity – in the home of some of history’s most imaginative minds.