Dr Sandra Bour Schaeffer is the Head of Airbus Group Demonstrators and the CEO of Airbus UpNext. In these roles, Sandra helps shape the future of aerospace by using flying demonstrators to evaluate, mature and validate new technological breakthroughs in space, aviation, helicopters and urban air mobility.

Dr Bour Schaeffer is highly focused on Airbus’s efforts to both reinvent and accelerate aerospace research and prototype development to achieve proof of concepts at scale and speed. To achieve this she supports her team as they work with internal and external partners, identify and hire industry-leading talent, and boldly experiment to build the future of flight. Her passion for aerospace innovation is long-standing, having spent nearly two decades focused on flight test engineering, development and execution at Airbus.