Raytheon’s Andreas Roelofs On The Future Of Aviation and Aviation Tech

An Interview With David Leichner

Teamwork — Learn to understand your peers and colleagues, including what they need and how you can help them. This industry doesn’t move forward without strong collaboration across various functions and teams.

As a part of our series about “The Future Of Aviation”, I had the pleasure of interviewing Andreas Roelofs.

Andreas Roelofs is Vice President of Research and Development at Raytheon Technologies and Director of the Raytheon Technologies Research Center. Roelofs is an expert in nanoscience and prior to joining the Raytheon Technologies Research Center in 2019, Roelofs led research of integrated nanotechnology at Los Alamos National Laboratory.

Thank you so much for joining us in this interview series! Before we dive in, our readers would love to get to know you a bit better. Can you tell us a story about what brought you to this specific career path?

Initially, my interest in materials science and nanotechnology stemmed from my childhood fascination with nature. Then in school, I had a great physics teacher who furthered that curiosity in science. He started our first physics class by posing a few questions such as: why is the sunset red? And why can you see through glass? I was eager to learn more.

From there, I studied physics, which eventually led me to aerospace and defense. It’s a space I have always been drawn to because materials touch everything. The work we do in this industry is important, and I am thrilled to be part of the research and development that drives our future innovations.

Can you share the most interesting story that happened to you since you started your career?

Although it’s not one story in particular, witnessing industry’s emphasis on making civil aviation sustainable has been quite remarkable to watch. As a scientist, new ideas are often proposed and then discarded. I can recall that being the case for many ideas around sustainable aviation in the earlier part of my career. In the past few years, however, as global attention about climate change increases, sustainable aviation has gained more attention and there is greater motivation behind reducing our carbon footprint across the industry.

For example, some of the discussions we’re having today about hydrogen fuel and electric planes were introduced decades ago. Now, we are seeing a shift where sustainable aviation is becoming a top priority. I’m looking forward to what’s to come as we work to make these once discarded ideas become reality.

Can you share a story about the funniest mistake you made when you were first starting? Can you tell us what lesson you learned from that?

Prior to joining Raytheon Technologies, I served as Deputy Director of the Center for Nanoscale Materials (CNM) at the Argonne National Laboratory. President Obama was planning to visit our facility, and since I oversaw operations, I worked with his security team to ensure the building was safe. During our conversations, the security team mentioned that they were going to bring military dogs to check out the building. Since I am from Germany, I was unfamiliar with the different terms used to describe military units in the United States and I thought military dogs was just another name to describe a unit like Navy SEALs. I was surprised when the K-9 unit arrived to search the rooms. This was an issue because dogs aren’t allowed in the clean room, since they have fur that can impact the cleanliness of the room. It led to a last-minute scramble, but we were able to work it out and President Obama’s visit went smoothly. The biggest lesson I learned from this was to not assume anything — just because the Navy SEALs aren’t really seals doesn’t mean that military dogs aren’t really dogs!

None of us are able to achieve success without some help along the way. Is there a particular person who you are grateful towards who helped get you to where you are? Can you share a story?

I am grateful for Mark Re, former CTO of Seagate Technologies. I moved to the United States from Germany because he hired me into the company’s research department. Beyond prompting my move to the U.S., Mark has also been a great mentor to me. Specifically, he gave me great advice for job interviews. One point in particular that really stuck with me was when he told me, “don’t try to tell them what they want to hear, tell them what you think.” The statement is true and has resonated with me, and I think has helped me in both landing my current role and being successful in it.

You are a successful business leader. Which three character traits do you think were most instrumental to your success? Can you please share a story or example for each?

To be successful in this industry, or any industry, there are a few key characteristics that one should uphold. Although it may seem obvious or cliche, the first characteristic is a hard work ethic. In addition, it’s extremely important to be a team player. The aerospace and defense industry is full of very complex systems, so you can’t accomplish anything completely by yourself. Working hard and collaborating with others will lead to the most success across the board.

The third characteristic that is essential to being successful is an extension of being a team player — care for yourself and your teammates as people. Although work is important, I make sure that everyone knows that their family is the first priority, just as it is for me, and if there is an emergency at home, work takes a backseat. On the other hand, if there is an emergency at work I expect people to put in the extra effort to make sure we can manage the problem quickly and efficiently. Knowing that we all have the support from our team and the freedom to choose our priorities allows us to focus on what’s important.

Can you share with our readers about the innovations that you are bringing to the Aviation and Air Travel industries?

As I mentioned earlier, sustainable aviation is a top priority right now. The aviation industry currently accounts for 2% of global carbon emissions — and with the projected growth of air travel, that figure could more than double by 2050 without the development and adoption of sustainable technologies. Even so, the industry has made a commitment to achieve net-zero carbon emissions in global civil aviation by 2050. However, there isn’t a single technology that will allow us to decrease the industry’s impact on carbon emissions. We’ll need many paths.

At Raytheon Technologies, we recognize we have an important role to play in achieving net zero, and we are taking action to reduce emissions through the products we design, develop, manufacture and support. Our engineers are working to meet sustainability goals by improving engine efficiency, advancing hybrid electric propulsion and supporting the use of sustainable aviation fuels. We are also evolving lighter-weight and more energy efficient systems, through advanced materials and manufacturing processes, like 3D printing, to optimize the weight of our components and products. In addition, we are reducing delays, fuel consumption and emissions by optimizing air traffic and flight operations. This will be accomplished by enhancing avionics onboard and partnering with improved air traffic management systems on the ground.

Additionally, due to the COVID-19 pandemic, cleanliness has been a major concern in the conversation around flight safety, particularly in commercial aviation, but scientists and engineers are working to make airplane cabins safer and more hygienic for all travelers. Collins Aerospace, a unit of Raytheon Technologies, has a broad range of solutions to provide passengers with a more hygienic in-flight experience and protect surfaces in the cabin. These initiatives include state-of-the-art air filtration systems, touchless lavatories with automated cleaning solutions, and antimicrobial surface coatings. These improvements can be implemented quickly, efficiently, and cost-effectively while enhancing passengers’ overall in-flight experience.

Which “pain point” are you trying to address by introducing these innovations?

As I mentioned, a significant pain point within the aviation industry is decreasing carbon emissions. We are addressing this challenge by working to make the future of flight more sustainable and safer for both the environment and consumers.

Another pain point is high fuel prices and their impact on travel. This is an ongoing issue, but as we work to make aviation more efficient, we are also creating a future of flight that is more economical. For example, it was costly to purchase and own an electric vehicle when they were first brought to market, but prices decreased as the technology matured and more consumers invested in the cars. We believe the same process will be true for aviation. As we continue to innovate and our technology matures, we envision a flight experience that is cleaner and less cost prohibitive.

How do you envision that this might disrupt the status quo?

There are a lot of exciting things in the aviation industry that will disrupt the status quo as we enable a new era of flight. At Raytheon Technologies, we are developing superconducting motors that could one day supply enough electric power to propel a 737 plane down the tarmac, and into the air, with near-perfect energy efficiency and without emitting greenhouse gasses. Although it’s an ambitious project, we’re really excited about its potential impact.

This is just one of the ways we’re working toward sustainable aviation at Raytheon Technologies. We’re also working to build more efficient versions of current engines, developing hybrid-electric propulsion and exploring the use of hydrogen and ammonia as clean, alternative aviation fuels. With these developments, we’re reimagining the future of flight, and I’m excited to be part of what’s to come as we make the impossible possible.

Recently there were famous cases of hackers breaking into the software running automobiles, for ransomware or for other malicious purposes. Based on your experience, what should aviation companies do to uncover vulnerabilities in the development process to safeguard their vehicles and aircraft?

Preventative measures are extremely important for both software and hardware systems, and at Raytheon Technologies, ensuring the safety and security of our products is a critical focus. Security needs to be built into all stages of the product life cycle, and that includes cybersecurity. It must be top of mind when aircraft systems are designed, and we’re fortunate to have the resources of our Raytheon Technologies CODE Center, which tests for, mitigates and hardens against vulnerabilities. Our CODE Center experts suggest one way aviation companies can better identify and mitigate risks is by nurturing a security culture throughout their engineering teams, starting with training and reinforcement through internal knowledge sharing and meetings.

Additionally, as the threat landscape evolves, so do the needs of an organization’s security posture. As such, organizations should run ongoing tests to ensure their products’ overall security. An example of this would be for senior leadership to select a handful of security metrics they expect staff to report on regularly. Not only will this lead to more visibility throughout the product life cycle, but it can also create healthy competition within the company.

What are your “5 Things You Need To Create A Highly Successful Career In The Aviation Industry?

1. Passion — You can’t do the job well if you are not excited about it.
2. Education — The aerospace and defense industry does require a certain level of expertise and knowledge, so it’s crucial to get an education. That being said, there are many different degrees you can pursue and use (i.e., physics, chemistry, computer science, engineering, mathematics, etc.) in the field. The same goes for the level of education. A bachelor’s of science or master’s degree would be a good place to start, and many companies offer additional education opportunities while you are working.
3. Teamwork — Learn to understand your peers and colleagues, including what they need and how you can help them. This industry doesn’t move forward without strong collaboration across various functions and teams.
4. Networking — Step outside your bubble and reach out to neighboring fields or other departments in your company to get a better grasp of the entire business. This will help you be more successful within your organization.
5. Curiosity — In addition to being passionate about the field, it’s also important to be curious and motivated to solve problems. Curiosity leads to more innovation, which ultimately will help shape the future of your respective industry.

You are a person of great influence. If you could start a movement that would bring the most amount of good to the most amount of people, what would that be? You never know what your idea can trigger.

If I could start a movement, it would be for all of us to help each other more. Sure, donating money is great, but I think we need to go beyond that to help those around us — whether we know them or not. It does not usually take long to help someone out, whether it’s giving someone a ride to work, or helping a neighbor mow their lawn, but these small things matter a lot to the people we are helping and to ourselves. People are always wondering how they can be happier; neuroscience suggests that helping people does just that. So, to kick off this movement, I would suggest that once a week, we all look around to see who we can help. It will make us all happier and the world a better place.

How can our readers further follow your work online?

LinkedIn: Andreas Roelofs

This would be my movement. For everyone to be kind!

About The Interviewer: David Leichner is a veteran of the Israeli high-tech industry with significant experience in the areas of cyber and security, enterprise software and communications. At Cybellum, a leading provider of Product Security Lifecycle Management, David is responsible for creating and executing the marketing strategy and managing the global marketing team that forms the foundation for Cybellum’s product and market penetration. Prior to Cybellum, David was CMO at SQream and VP Sales and Marketing at endpoint protection vendor, Cynet. David is the Chairman of the Friends of Israel and Member of the Board of Trustees of the Jerusalem Technology College. He holds a BA in Information Systems Management and an MBA in International Business from the City University of New York.