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This four-year partnership aims to anticipate regulatory and technological developments in fire resistance, a critical issue for the design of aircraft nacelles in a context where requirements are becoming increasingly stringent.
Located within the Group's material physics and Aerothermochemistry Interprofessional Research Laboratory facilities, two laboratories under the co-supervision of CNRS, University of Rouen Normandie (univ-rouen.fr) and INSA Rouen Normandie, the new FLAMES laboratory enjoys advanced testing and analysis facilities enabling it to conduct many test campaigns on representative samples. This work will allow us to develop accurate simulation models and optimise physical tests, contributing to the design of ever safer and more efficient nacelles.
The FLAMES laboratory relies on a dedicated team of around ten people, including engineers from Safran Nacelles and lecturers-researchers from INSA Rouen Normandie, the University of Rouen Normandie and researchers from the CNRS. An engineer and a lecturer-researcher will also be recruited by INSA Rouen Normandie to strengthen the laboratory’s capacity.
Two major projects are now being launched:
• A three-year doctoral thesis on the fire behaviour of composite materials.
• An experimental programme to develop fire resistance testing facilities, including the development of new test conditions and instrumentation methods, to improve the representativeness of results and add to the simulation and physical model databases.
“Our partnership with INSA Rouen Normandie allows us to work on complex issues, combining Safran Nacelles’ technical and industrial expertise with the academic excellence of the teams from both the GPM and CORIA laboratories. FLAMES strengthens our ability to innovate and respond to the technical challenges of tomorrow." said Fabienne Lacorre, Safran Nacelles' Technical Director.
“The collaboration between Safran and INSA Rouen Normandie is part of a long tradition of partnership, established many years ago. This historic and strategic partnership is now taking on a new dimension. We welcome the expansion of simulation and experimentation work on combustion in turbojets towards new perspectives, particularly the resistance of innovative materials subjected to extreme thermal conditions in the aerospace domain. This collaboration brings together two research laboratories of excellence, CORIA and GPM, both co-founders of Labex EMC3 and the Carnot ESP Institute, alongside Safran Nacelles, a leading industrial player. It is a powerful lever for advancing scientific and applied research in a highly strategic sector.” added Mourad Boukhalfa, INSA Rouen Normandie's Director.
“The creation of this joint laboratory provides another fine example of a shared desire for knowledge and understanding between a partner with high business acumen and two laboratories with their academic expertise. This joint laboratory is an exceptional tool for accelerating the transfer of knowledge and technology, as well as offering solutions for innovative projects. The engineers, lecturers-researchers and researchers involved have already been actively collaborating for many years. The formalisation of their shared work in the form of this joint laboratory is a guarantee of the research excellence that is carried out on the Sciences and Engineering Campus of Rouen Normandie.” adds Philippe Pareige, Vice-President of Research of the University of Rouen Normandie.
“Safran is a long-standing partner of the CNRS and the joint FLAMES laboratory that we are inaugurating today is of particular importance given the strong link between us. The joint laboratory is the culmination of a relationship based on trust: it is aimed at those scientists and industrialists who have learned about each other, who have worked together, and who have decided to go a step further with this agile and ambitious project. In a simplified administrative framework, it allows teams to have more dedicated resources to conduct their research and explore science on critical safety issues for air transport." stated Catherine Grandhomme, the CNRS' Business Relations Director.
The FLAMES laboratory marks the beginning of an ambitious upstream research programme. Its results should ultimately feed all future developments at Safran Nacelles and contribute to strengthening the performance and safety of our equipment.
Safran (safran-group.com) is an international high-technology group, operating in the aviation (propulsion, equipment and interiors), defence and space markets. Its core purpose is to contribute to a safer, more sustainable world, where air transport is more environmentally friendly, comfortable and accessible. The Safran Group has a global presence, with 100,000 employees and sales of €27.3 billion in 2024, and holds, alone or in partnership, world or European leadership positions in its core markets.
Safran Nacelles designs, integrates and provides support and after-sales service for aircraft nacelles. The company is a global leader in the market for commercial aircraft with more than 100 seats, business jets and regional aircraft. At the cutting edge of technology, Safran Nacelles offers nacelles that are ever more integrated with the engine; aerodynamic, lightweight and with advanced acoustic treatments to contribute to the reduction of CO2 and noise emissions from aircraft.
The INSA Rouen Normandie, France
Ranked as Normandy’s top public engineering school and included among key French institutions, INSA Rouen Normandie (insa-rouen.fr) plays a major role in the training of engineers in France. Its mission includes education (10 engineering curriculums, 5 apprenticeship programs), research (8 laboratories) and the spreading of scientific culture in the following fields of expertise: Information systems, big data, mathematics, chemistry and processes, risk management and industrial site recovery, energy, propulsion systems, mechanics, industrial performance, civil engineering, and urban design and planning.
INSA Rouen Normandie is a member of the INSA Group, which trains almost 10% of French engineers every year. Closely tied to the world of industry, INSA has established a large number of partnerships with international organizations.
The CNRS
A major player in basic research worldwide, the National Centre for Scientific Research (CNRS) (cnrs.fr) is the only French organization active in all scientific fields. Its unique position as a multi-specialist enables it to bring together all the scientific disciplines to shed light on and understand the challenges of today's world, in connection with public and socio-economic stakeholders. Together, the different sciences contribute to sustainable progress that benefits society as a whole.
Press contacts
Emma Hallouin - INSA Rouen Normandie
P: +33(0)6 31 57 75 89 - E: emma.hallouin[.]insa-rouen.fr.
Émeline Vercoullie - Université de Rouen Normandie
P: +33(0)6 04 50 79 31 - E: presse[.]univ-rouen.fr.
Manon Landurant - CNRS
P: +33(0)6 13 84 40 63 - E: manon.landurant[.]cnrs.fr.
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caroline.coudert[.]safrangroup.com 
