Brussels, 11, November 2025
JA Europe, the largest organisation in Europe dedicated to preparing young people for employment and entrepreneurship, announces, in collaboration with Vlajo, the Future of Aviation Bootcamp 2025, powered by Boeing Global Engagement. The event will take place on 14 November 2025, bringing together Europe’s brightest young talents to innovate, collaborate, and pitch bold solutions to the aviation industry’s real-world challenges.
This half-day hackathon will gather students from Belgium that will present their forward-looking solutions to a distinguish panel of jury of industry leaders, educators, and experts.
Responding to industry needs
The aviation sector is facing unprecedented challenges: digital transformation, decarbonisation, and the urgent demand for highly skilled STEM profiles to maintain Europe’s global competitiveness. Addressing these challenges requires fresh thinking, new skills, and a strong pipeline of young talent.
By engaging directly with students, the Future of Aviation Bootcamp provides a platform for the next generation to contribute their ideas, creativity, and entrepreneurial spirit to the sector. At the same time, it highlights the critical role of skills development in ensuring Europe remains at the forefront of innovation in aviation.
Liam Benham, President of EU, NATO and Government Affairs Europe at Boeing International stated “At Boeing, we are proud to inspire the next generation of Europe’s STEM talent in partnership with JA and VLAJO. By giving student innovators real-world challenges, while supporting them with mentors and practical opportunities, we help build the skills and creativity needed by our industry. We have a deep commitment to helping talented innovators from across Europe as they shape the future of flight.”
A partnership that matters
This initiative builds on the longstanding collaboration between JA Europe and Boeing Global Engagement. Together, the organisations are bridging the gap between education and industry, offering young people practical opportunities to solve pressing challenges while strengthening their employability.
The partnership reflects a shared commitment to advancing workforce readiness, inspiring future leaders, and fostering sustainable solutions for the aviation industry. In today’s rapidly changing landscape, where both technological advances and global challenges are reshaping the industry, such collaborations are more important than ever.
Salvatore Nigro, CEO of JA Europe highlighted “To secure the future of European aviation, we must empower young people to become the innovators and problem-solvers our economies need. Through our collaboration with Boeing and Vlajo, we are giving students the opportunity not only to learn, but to lead and to shape solutions for an industry that is evolving faster than ever. Talent is everywhere, and initiatives like this help ensure it has the space and support to take flight.”
About Boeing
As a leading global aerospace company, Boeing develops, manufactures and services commercial airplanes, defense products and space systems for customers in more than 150 countries. As a top U.S. exporter, the company leverages the talents of a global supplier base to advance economic opportunity, sustainability and community impact. Boeing’s diverse team is committed to innovating for the future, leading with sustainability, and cultivating a culture based on the company’s core values of safety, quality and integrity. Join our team and find your purpose at https://jobs.boeing.com/
About JA Europe
JA Europe is the largest and leading organisation in Europe dedicated to inspiring and preparing young people to succeed. For over 100 years, JA Worldwide has delivered hands-on, experiential learning in entrepreneurship, work readiness and financial health. In the last school year, the JA Europe network provided 7,5 million learning experiences for youth in online, in person and blended formats.
About Vlajo
Vlajo (Flemish Young Enterprises) is the largest organization in Flanders that encourages young people to take an entrepreneurial approach to life. Every year, thousands of pupils and students participate in Vlajo’s educational programs. In collaboration with partners from the business world, Vlajo guides them in their development into confident, creative, and critical thinkers.
