Electric aircraft visionary to deliver the Breakfast Keynote Speech at METSTRADE 2022

Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities from the Sky to the SeaICOMIA and METSTRADE are pleased to announce that TED Fellow and ICAS Aerospace Innovation Award recipient, Cory Combs, will deliver the Breakfast Keynote Speech at the METSTRADE show on 15 November 2021. Cory’s presentation on how leisure marine can become a model for introducing innovation in sustainability will be followed by the keenly awaited announcement of the 2022 DAME Design Award winners.The renowned METSTRADE Breakfast Briefing is the not-to-be-missed opening for three days of the world’s largest gathering of marine professionals. In “Paragon or Pariah? Sustainability Challenges and Opportunities from the Sky to the Sea”, Combs will explain a key takeaway from his experience at Ampaire – to start small and iterate with the technology and infrastructure that exists today, rather than waiting for silver bullet solutions.Udo Kleinitz, Secretary General at ICOMIA, states: “We are pleased to welcome Cory Combs at the 2022 Breakfast Briefing. METSTRADE and ICOMIA constantly aim to be at the forefront of sustainability across the sector. Both aviation and leisure marine industries are exploring de-carbonisation strategies and face similar challenges. I am excited to hear about lessons learned and discuss how to better achieve sustainability across the entire marine industry”.Cory Combs is the co-founder of aviation electric propulsion pioneer, Ampaire, which is hitting news headlines around the globe for its rapid evolution of hybrid powered small passenger and freight planes. Its testbed Electric EEL, based on the proven Cessna 337 Skymaster, is demonstrating fuel savings of 40 per cent. Ampaire has already secured orders from airlines for hybrid adaptions of existing small commuter planes which are planned to enter service within the next three years.Combs graduated from Stanford University with Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Mechanical Engineering. He worked as an R&D engineer for a cleantech startup and then on X-plane projects for Northrop Grumman prior to co-founding Ampaire in 2016.Speaking about the opportunities for shared learning across maritime and aerospace, he says: “I am honoured to speak at METSTRADE’s 2022 Keynote Speech. The marine leisure industry shares many challenges with aviation, especially small aircraft, in terms of public perception and difficulty in going green. In aviation, there is the flight shaming movement and recently there has been no small amount of boat shaming too. The marine leisure industry, like aerospace, will stick out like a sore thumb unless we show the way towards a cleaner future. At Ampaire we’ve learned big lessons on electrifying aircraft that are applicable to marine applications. Both industries are well positioned to kickstart the technologies and supply chain required to achieve sustainability. The only option neither sector has is business as usual.”The Breakfast Briefing will take place on the morning of Tuesday 15 November in the Auditorium of the RAI Convention Centre prior to opening of METSTRADE 2022. It welcomes exhibitors and VIP guests on invitation only.