French hybrid-electric start-up Ascendance has inked agreements with a pair of Malaysian businesses that could lead to its Atea vertical take-off and landing aircraft being built and operated in one of Southeast Asia’s fastest expanding markets.
Unveiled at a ceremony held at the headquarters of the Malaysian trade and industry ministry, the pacts with Pen Aviation and Pahang Aerospace City Development (PACD) cover both the Atea and Ascendance’s Sterna hybrid-electric powertrain.
Toulouse-based Ascendance and Pen Aviation will partner to explore the integration of the Sterna powertrain into locally produced uncrewed air vehicles.
Additionally, Pen Aviation will become a distributor for the Atea in Southeast Asia and will evaluate use cases for the aircraft flying between heliports.
Ascendance says the collaboration “lays the groundwork” for its entry into the Malaysian market.
Meanwhile, the partnership with PACD will see the two companies assess opportunities to establish new facilities within Pahang Aerospace City, an innovation hub located close to the proposed Al-Sultan Abdullah Kuantan International airport on the country’s east coast.
These could include a co-production or assembly line, flight demonstration facility and a hybrid propulsion competence centre. In addition, it will allow Ascendance to access “a thriving ecosystem designed to host new industrial projects”.
“These agreements strengthen our ability to quickly deploy our solutions in strategic markets,” says Jean-Christophe Lambert, chief executive and co-founder of Ascendance.
“They set the stage for future industrial partnerships and the establishment of high-value collaborations.”
Ascendance is not the only hybrid-electric aircraft developer with designs on Malaysia: earlier this year French compatriot VoltAero disclosed plans to locate a production line for its Cassio 330 in the north of the country.
Separately, an Ascendance-lead consortium has been awarded a €5 million ($5.9 million) grant from the EU’s Clean Aviation body to support the development and demonstration of an aviation-grade battery system for hybrid-electric propulsion, primarily targeting next-generation regional aircraft.
One of four projects sharing a total of €20 million under Clean Aviation’s “Fast Track” stream, project LIME – Lithium-based Innovation for Modular Energy – will develop a battery system to technology readiness level 4, with the effort culminating in a ground demonstration.
