Typisch bremisch Typically “Bremish”

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Tragflächenmontage bei Airbus
Wing assembly at Airbus
percent less CO 2 emissions”, says Lohner. By 2050, the
aviation industry aims to halve its total CO 2 emissions
compared to 2005.
Various players in Bremen are already making a major
contribution to achieving this target. One example of
Hanseatic innovations in this field is the “shark skin” which
is being developed by Airbus together with the Fraunhofer
Institute and other partners. The intention is to cut
fuel consumption by reducing the air resistance of airplanes.
The wind energy sector and shipbuilding industry
are also involved. Scientists from the Jacobs University are
taking a different approach. In future, they want aircraft to
be propelled by biomass, preferably algae. Pilot projects
have already verified the feasibility and harmless nature of
this concept, and an industrial partner, Phytolutions, is also
closely involved in the development work. Bremen's experts
demonstrate their shared commitment in a national
working party that includes all major aviation companies
and looks into how the branch can use renewable energies.
There are plans for an Airbus to fly on algae fuel from
Berlin to Munich already in 2014. “Bremen with its focus on
both the maritime economy and the aerospace sector is
the ideal location to develop this know-how”, says Lohner.
The end of steel jumbos
Another pressing issue in the branch is the development
of new materials. They must be as robust as metals, but as
light and flexible in use as plastics. In the next few years, a
research and development centre called EcoMaT will be
opened at Bremen’s Airport-Stadt complex, with a focus
on the aerospace sector. Alongside the anchor tenants
Airbus and the FIBRE Institute, other companies with a
focus on lightweight construction and new materials will
also settle here. Altogether, EcoMaT should have a work-