France-based hybrid propulsion specialist, Ascendance, has secured €12.2m in public funding to scale production of its hybrid-electric propulsion systems, marking a shift from development to industrial manufacturing.
The investment, awarded under France’s France 2030 “Première Usine” (First Factory) programme, will support the company over four years as it builds production capacity for its STERNA Hybrid Pack system and prepares for aircraft assembly.
Ascendance said the funding represents an “industrial inflection point”, enabling it to transition from prototype development to series production while accelerating investment to meet growing demand in both civil and defence markets.
The STERNA system, combining batteries with proprietary energy management software, has been under development for more than four years and is designed for use in regional aircraft and defence drones. It also underpins the company’s ATEA vertical take-off and landing aircraft, which is being positioned as a low-carbon alternative to light helicopters.
Under its industrial roadmap, Ascendance will first expand production within its existing site at Muret-L’Herm airfield in southern France, before moving to a larger dedicated factory to support higher volumes and integrate aircraft assembly. The company said future production will rely on automation, robotics and advanced manufacturing processes.
The funding comes as policymakers and industry players increasingly position hybrid-electric propulsion as a near-term solution for aviation decarbonisation, amid technical and economic challenges facing fully electric and hydrogen-powered aircraft.
Ascendance said the backing also reflects a broader push by France and Europe to strengthen industrial sovereignty in aerospace, particularly in emerging low-carbon technologies.
Chief executive Jean-Christophe Lambert said the funding would enable the company to “move from prototype to production” and help build a European hybrid-electric aviation sector capable of addressing both environmental and strategic priorities.