GE Aviation (www.geaviation.com) and the Czech Technical University in Prague have signed a collaborative agreement that will help the University’s Faculty of Mechanical Engineering (CVUT) to build a preventative health and maintenance monitoring system for modern turboprop engines, investigate future aerospace manufacturing technologies and enhance the education of students.

On top of the agreement, GE Aviation will give CVUT access to its PREDIX software, as well as training.

The company will also share its technical experience related to turboprop engine design and performance modelling; CVUT will then develop the necessary methodology and convert the modelling into a ‘health monitoring’ system using real data.

Czech Republic Prime Minister Andrej Babiš said: “This is a great project that connects graduate education with the industry. The partnership will support the development of aerospace technologies, while applying Industry 4.0 approaches.

"I am glad that sustainability of the project is guaranteed from the very beginning by GE Aviation; financing is a crucial aspect.”

GE’s PREDIX software is said to be the world’s first and only industrial edge-to-cloud platform; it will enable CVUT to analyse ‘big data and analytics’ generated by the field and engine tests, with the information obtained used for identifying potential engine issues before they occur and optimising the maintenance and overall costs of engine operation. CVUT will be the first university in Europe to receive PREDIX software.

CVUT Dean Michael Valasek said: “This is a very important milestone for us. We are merging top-class industry expertise with our university environment to build a globally competitive capacity and capability.

“This will drive the future growth of the aviation industry in the Czech Republic.”