Boeing, Embraer team up for the environment

Boeing and Embraer S.A. this week agreed to collaborate on testing of environment-focused technologies through the ecoDemonstrator Program in a combined effort to improve the environmental performance of aviation.

Embraer President and CEO Frederico Curado and Boeing International President Marc Allen signed a memorandum of understanding at the Brazil-U.S. Business Summit.

"Industry leadership in today's world requires creative and global collaborations that ignite progress on hard problems faster than ever," Allen said. "Boeing and Embraer are both industry leaders committed to addressing aviation's environmental goals through innovation and technology. Working together in this exciting new way, our companies will speed progress to improve aviation's efficiency and reduce environmental impact."

In 2011, Boeing launched its ecoDemonstrator Program to accelerate testing and the use of new technologies that can reduce fuel use, carbon emissions and noise. Through their collaboration, Boeing and Embraer are planning to conduct ecoDemonstrator tests with an Embraer airplane in 2016.

"Innovation is a key pillar of Embraer's strategy, and we are pleased to continue our work with Boeing to support the long-term sustainable growth of our industry," Curado said. "The ecoDemonstrator Program offers a new and valuable opportunity for collaboration between our companies to boost environmental development tests, benefiting customers, our industry and the society."

Boeing and Embraer also have opened a joint biofuel research center in São José dos Campos, Brazil, to perform biofuel research and coordinate research with Brazilian universities and other institutions.