Stargate project at ALICE Innovation Theatre

Project Information

Stargate is an ambitious European initiative aiming to accelerate the transition toward greener and more sustainable aviation. The project is coordinated by Brussels Airport and brings together a consortium of 23 partners, including airports, airlines, research institutes, mobility organisations and local authorities across Europe.

Funded by the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under the European Green Deal, Stargate received €24.8 million in EU funding, complemented by partner co-funding. The project develops, tests and demonstrates innovative solutions to reduce aviation’s environmental impact and improve the sustainability of airport operations before the end of 2026.

Through collaboration across the aviation ecosystem and with surrounding communities, Stargate aims to advance decarbonisation, environmental performance and sustainable mobility integration at airports.

Objectives and ambition

Stargate focuses on three strategic goals designed to support the transformation of aviation and airport operations:

• Enhance further decarbonisation
  The project develops solutions to reduce greenhouse gas emissions from airport operations and aircraft ground activities. This includes electrification and hydrogen solutions for ground handling operations, the promotion of Sustainable Aviation Fuels (SAF) and the integration of renewable energy systems shared with surrounding communities.
• Improve the local environmental quality
  Stargate supports innovations that improve air quality and reduce noise levels in and around airports. The project also strengthens collaboration with local communities to ensure that sustainability measures contribute to a better living environment.
• Stimulate the modal shift
  Airports are explored as multimodal transport hubs, connecting aviation with rail, public transport, cycling and other low-carbon mobility options. The project promotes sustainable mobility solutions and improved accessibility to encourage more environmentally friendly transport choices.

Digital Twin for sustainable airport operations

A key innovation within Stargate is the development of a Digital Twin, which uses advanced digital modelling to create a virtual replica of an airport environment, combining data on buildings, infrastructure, and energy systems. By simulating scenarios, the digital twin allows airports to test sustainability measures before implementing them in the real world. This supports smarter planning and helps identify the most effective ways to reduce energy use and emissions.

Consortium

The Stargate consortium brings together 23 partners from across Europe, combining expertise from aviation, mobility, research, energy and digitalisation sectors.

The project is coordinated by Brussels Airport, acting as the lighthouse airport where many of the solutions are demonstrated. The consortium includes:

• Airports and aviation industry partners
• Airlines and airport community organisations
• Research institutions and universities
• Mobility and energy experts
• Local authorities and public organisations
• Technology and consulting partners

In addition, Stargate collaborates with EU Green Deal sister projects such as TULIPS and OLGA, ensuring knowledge exchange and accelerating the deployment of sustainable aviation solutions across Europe.

Find out more

Project website: https://www.greendealstargate.eu/

This project has received funding from the European Union’s Horizon 2020 research and innovation programme under grant agreement GA101037053.