RTX’s Pratt & Whitney has announced plans to establish a European Technology and Innovation Center (ETIC) dedicated to advancing technologies for enabling more energy efficient and sustainable aviation. Pratt & Whitney’s ETIC will be co-located at RTX’s Collins Aerospace’s existing European Innovation Hub in Houten, Netherlands, further enhancing RTX’s ability to engage in collaborative initiatives with both the Dutch and wider European aerospace technology ecosystem. Pratt & Whitney and Collins Aerospace are RTX businesses.
“Our new European Technology and Innovation Center will be a path to access the exceptional engineering talent and opportunities for collaboration both in the Netherlands and across Europe,” said Frank Preli, vice president, technology, Pratt & Whitney. “A team of Pratt & Whitney innovators based at the ETIC will contribute to the development of cutting-edge technologies for achieving greater propulsion efficiency and reduced emissions in future aircraft, whether powered by conventional or alternative aviation fuels, including hydrogen.”
The ETIC directly supports RTX’s expanding engagement with the Dutch aerospace industry. RTX recently entered a memorandum of understanding with the Netherlands Aerospace Group, providing a framework for advancing commercial aviation technology research, including collaboration with industry, academia and government agencies. RTX also signed a master research agreement with Delft University of Technology (TU Delft) enabling greater collaboration with graduate students and academic staff on multiple research projects.
“I am pleased to see initiatives like Pratt & Whitney’s European Technology and Innovation Center in the Netherlands,” said Tjerk Opmeer, deputy director-general for business and innovation, Ministry of Economic Affairs of the Netherlands. “This center has the possibility to enhance our shared vision for accelerating sustainable aviation through innovation and international collaboration. We are committed to support these transformative efforts.”
Pratt & Whitney expects the ETIC to open for business in mid-2025, with an initial core staff of engineers and scientists with capacity to expand the team depending on program development needs. RTX directly employs approximately 22,000 people across 60 locations in Europe, including over 6,000 Pratt & Whitney employees (predominantly based in Poland), and 270 employees located at three existing Collins Aerospace sites in the Netherlands, including at Houten.
