ZAL_YB-2017

ZAL
WELCOMING ADDRESS
ZAL – A BEACON
OF RESEARCH
AND INNOVATION
— Dear Readers,
Last year, in the first edition of this yearbook, I announced
that now, after the successful opening, things were really
going to get moving here at the Center for Applied
Aeronautical Research in Hamburg. And I don’t think I
was promising more than we ended up delivering. One
year after its opening, ZAL has become a beacon of
research and development, visible from afar. Numerous
companies and teams have moved in, from major players
like DLR to start-ups like Synergeticon. Events have
brought our hangars to life and attracted high-ranking
guests from all over the world. The debut of our ›ZAL
Innovation Days‹ (p.94) was a prime example. I have been
privileged to welcome the widest range of visitors from
the political and industrial spheres, showing them
Underlying this dynamic life that has taken hold at ZAL
in such a short time is teamwork. Teamwork within our
GmbH entity, where we combine our efforts to create
an environment where our tenants can work and collaborate.
But above all, teamwork between tenants,
thanks to open doors and shared spaces. And after a
year of seeing it in action, I can say that our concept
works. Airbus and Lufthansa Technik joined forces at
ZAL for the ›FAMOS‹ project, funded by the Aviation
Research Program, developing a system whereby a
robotic arm applies a ›shark skin‹ structure to the wing
surface of airliners (p.50). At a workshop, Diehl and
Lufthansa Technik got together and developed a bar
module for the galley. Soon enough the project was
INTRODUCTION
»WHAT I REALLY LIKE ABOUT MY WORK IS THAT WE HAVE THE FREEDOM TO DRIVE DEVELOPMENTS AND TO MAKE
DECISIONS THAT BENEFIT THE AVIATION INDUSTRY IN HAMBURG.« ROLAND GERHARDS
through our infrastructure and introducing them to the
project teams. My colleagues and I have given interviews,
exhibited at trade fairs and presented our
concept to every imaginable interest group – and at
every opportunity, we have invited people to join in.
And now we have complete occupancy!
nominated for the Crystal Cabin Award – the industry’s
internationally renowned prize from our home town.
Furthermore, Airbus and Altran fought against complexity,
weight, and cost all at once with their Printed
Electrics concept. And they won the German Aviation
Innovation Award for it (p.54). Thanks to our network