ZAL-YB-020

ZAL Yearbook 

2020

Future. Created in Hamburg.

ZAL 

YEARBOOK 2020 

Introduction 

10 Welcoming Address 

12 ZAL Highlights 2020 

16 Quotes 2020 

4 — 5 

Facts & Information 

ZAL GmbH – Business Areas 

22 Rental & Building Operation 

23 Partners 

24 Investments 

25 R&T Services 

26 Funded Research Projects 

28 FoLuHH 

29 ZAL GmbH – Personnel

Innovation R&T 

ZAL GmbH – Achievements 

34 Innovation Accelerator – Introduction 

38 Innovation Accelerator – Health Tech 

42 Intelligent Digital Cabin – Delia 

43 AI Hackathon at ZAL 

44 Medifly Hamburg 

ZAL TechCenter 

50 How ZAL has tackled COVID-19 

54 Picnic Spot 

55 Test Drillings for ZAL Expansion 

CONTENT 

ZAL Events 

60 AI Aviation Lab Opening 

62 ZAL Innovation Talks 

64 ZAL Digital TechWalk 

65 Hamburg Aviation Forum 

68 Imprint

6 — 7

Introduction 

INTRODUCTION

8 — 9

INTRODUCTION


WELCOMING ADDRESS 

How Research & Innovation 

can succeed despite difficult 

Conditions 

Dear Readers, 

10 — 11 

Now is the time! Today we create and influence the history 

that we will write about in the future. 

Let's put aside the coronavirus and its impact in 2020 – 

historians will be doing the interpreting in the foreseeable 

future. Let us focus on what we have done in the 

last year to shape and strengthen the future of aviation 

– despite the circumstances. 

In research, we have an advantage in this respect: it is 

our daily business to be inventive and thus to create the 

future. This yearbook shows that this can be achieved 

even under difficult circumstances. 

Because there are as many exciting projects as ever: our 

Innovation Accelerator team shows in our own projects 

what it takes to be innovative. In 2020 we tried to reduce 

the risk of infection in airplanes within a very short time. 

Using agile methods of the Innovation Accelerator, the 

engineers were able to develop three health tech topics 

very fast. For the Intelligent Digital Cabin of tomorrow, our 

ZAL cabin experts are constantly driving forward new 

projects and collaborations. One of them is DELIA, with its 

main goal being to develop an innovative communication 

and processing platform for cabin applications. 

I am also proud of the success of the Medifly Hamburg 

cooperation project, which uses drones for health. The 

first test flights succeeded in 2020 between two Hamburg 

hospitals – right in the middle of the city. 

At the ZAL TechCenter, we did everything we could this 

year to keep things running. We managed this with 

improvisational skills, mindfulness, and close coordination 

with our tenants. 

As a new splash of color, we opened the Picnic Spot as an 

addition to the ZAL Restaurant. The area can be used 

temporarily for social distancing while eating. And, last 

but not least, we took a small step towards ZAL expansion: 

the first test drillings took place in the parking lot. It 

will be exciting to see how this progresses. 

Since live events were not possible in 2020, we converted 

to online events: with our new highlight format, the Innovation 

Talks, taking center-stage. Instead of the ZAL Innovation 

Days, they provide participants with innovative 

topics and the knowledge of high-level experts: renowned 

aviation journalist Jon Ostrower was one of our virtual 

guest, alongside Prof. Rolf Henke, Executive Board Member 

for Aeronautics Research and Technology at DLR, and 

Dr. Johannes Bussmann, CEO of Lufthansa Technik. At the 

beginning of the year 2020 we had another presence 

event, the official opening of the AI Aviation Lab – one of 

our last pre-corona live events. Our AI experts also held a 

hackathon there with Premium Aerotec in summer – with 

safety distance and masks, of course. 

Let's hope that we can meet again soon at ZAL – safely 

and in person. 

Yours,

ROLAND GERHARDS, CEO ZAL GMBH 

Crafting the ideas of tomorrow at an agile 

workshop at the Odeon creative space. 

INTRODUCTION


HIGHLIGHTS 2020 

ZAL 2020 

Highlights 

12 — 13 

INNOVATION ACCELERATOR 

Our team of experts shows how anyone can be innovative – with the right method. 

Read more: p. 34-41 

ZAL INNOVATION TALKS 

Experts discussing the future of the aviation industry. 

Read more: p. 62-63

MEDIFLY HAMBURG 

For the first time, a UAS was flying in the middle of 

the city, within the control zone of an international 

airport. The cooperation project was testing a 

transfer between hospitals during an surgery. 

Read more: p. 44-45 

INTRODUCTION 

AI HACKATHON AT ZAL 

The ZAL AI experts welcomed an interdisciplinary 

team from Premium Aerotec to a 

five-day hackathon in the AI Aviation Lab. 

Read more: p. 43 

DOROTHEE BÄR AT ZAL 

The State Minister for Digitization visited ZAL in February to get 

to know current projects from Airbus and Lufthansa Technik.


HIGHLIGHTS 2020 

CERTIFICATE FOR EXEMPLARY OCCUPATIONAL SAFETY 

In February, Senator Prüfer-Storcks from the Department of 

Health and Consumer Protection visited the ZAL TechCenter 

and presented the certificate. 

14 — 15 

TEST DRILLING FOR ZAL EXPANSION 

The first activities on the way to expansion. 

Read more: p. 55 

TESTFLIGHT AT THE MODEL AIRFIELD STADE 

The ZALbatros hydrogen drone achieved a flight 

time of two hours during its first test flight under 

real conditions.

AI AVIATION LAB OPENING 

In January, ZAL celebrated the opening of the AI 

Aviation Lab, a technology platform for artificial 

intelligence and deep learning. Read more: p. 60-61 

INTRODUCTION 

ZAL DIGITAL TECHWALK 

For the first time virtually and live – participants got 

the chance to explore the ZAL TechCenter and three 

current projects by Dassault Systèmes, Synergeticon 

and ZAL GmbH. Read more: p. 64 

PICNIC SPOT 

The colorful place is an extended 

dining area and complements the 

ZAL Restaurant. Read more: p. 54


QUOTES 2020 

»German research project 

Medifly tests long-range 

urban medical drone 

delivery flights.« 

COMMERCIAL UAV NEWS 

16 — 17 

»German government awards 

ZAL project Medifly Hamburg.« 

HAMBURG AVIATION 

»Technology transfer in 

Hamburg in concrete terms. 

Real labs in a quick test – 

Medifly: transport by drone.« 

BMWi

»Boeing city Seattle copies 

Hamburg research center ZAL.« 

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT 

»One of the most soughtafter 

aviation locations 

in Germany – ZAL.« 

INTRODUCTION 

SCHLESWIG-HOLSTEINER ZEITUNG 

»More space for the jets 

of tomorrow – up to 400 

new workplaces.« 

HAMBURGER ABENDBLATT

18 — 19

Facts & 

Information 

FACTS & INFORMATION

20 — 

21

FACTS & INFORMATION

ZAL GMBH BUSINESS AREAS 

RENTAL AND BUILDING OPERATION 

28% TECHNOLOGY PARTNERS 

25% RESEARCH INSTITUTES 

22 — 23 

22% OEMS, SUPPLIERS 

25% INNOVATION PARTNERS 

— ZAL offers 600 workplaces for 30 partners. The latter consist of 22 percent OEMs and suppliers, 25 percent 

research institutes, 25 percent innovation partners, and 28 percent technology partners.

ZAL TECHCENTER 

PARTNERS 

FACTS & INFORMATION


INVESTMENTS 

€ 20,000,000 

€ 15,000,000 

€ 10,000,000 

24 — 25 

€ 5,000,000 

€ 0 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

INVESTMENTS/YEAR 

TOTAL INVESTMENTS 

— 500,000 euros were invested in the fiscal year 2020. Of this amount, 61,000 euros related to investments in 

intangible assets and 439,000 euros to property, plant, and equipment. The focus was on the expansion and 

conversion of the canteen in line with the regulations in place due to the coronavirus as well as the expansion of 

the fuel cell infrastructure.


R&T SERVICES 

€ 3,500,000 

€ 3,000,000 

€ 2,500,000 

€ 2,000,000 

€ 1,500,000 

€ 1,000,000 

FACTS & INFORMATION 

€ 500,000 

€ 0 

2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 

EARNINGS from funded research projects 

TOTAL 

REVENUES from industrial projects 

— Due to the corona crisis, sales with industrial partners fell by 26 percent to 1,327,000 euros. Revenues from 

R&T-funded projects, on the other hand, showed a very positive development in 2020. 20 executed projects and 

earnings of 1,765,000 euros represent an increase of 70 percent on the previous year. In the R&T area, revenues 

from industrial and funding research projects increased by 9 percent to 3,092,000 euros.


FUNDED RESEARCH PROJECTS 

ACOUSTICS & VIBRATIONS 

NAIMMTA – new acoustic insulation metamaterial technology for aerospace; 

PARTNERS: 3M, Airbus, ETS, HAW Hamburg, Hutchinson, Mecanum, NRC 

Canada, Université de Sherbrooke, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: BMBF, CRIAQ; 

DURATION: 09/17–12/20 

UHBR2Noise – objective methods for measuring the vibration transmission of 

economy class seats; PARTNERS: Airbus, Oldenburg University, ZAL GmbH; 

FUNDING: LuFo V/3; DURATION: 04/19–03/22 

ANKA – autonomous sustainable aircraft cabin; PARTNERS: Airbus, Diehl, DLR, 

TUHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; DURATION: 10/20–12/23 

ADDITIVE 

MANUFACTURING 

HUTAB – robot-guided additive manufacturing for hybrid production of aircraft 

parts on existing components; PARTNERS: Cotesa, Diehl, HSU, ZAL GmbH; 


26 — 27 

LiBio – lightweight bionic aircraft interior; PARTNERS: Aerospace & Advanced 

Composites, Antemo, Bombardier, Fraunhofer IFAM, F.LIST, FusiA, Inocon, 

Johanneum, Rembrandtin Lack, SinusPro, Solexis, Queen's University, ZAL 

GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; DURATION: 03/20–02/23 

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS 

iVeSPA – integrated verification, sensors, and positioning in aircraft production; 

PARTNERS: Advanced Realtime Tracking, Agilion, Airbus, Fraunhofer, RWTH 

Aachen, Siemens, TWT GmbH Science Innovation, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo 

V/3; DURATION: 01/18–09/21 

EFFEKT – connected technologies and systems for efficient aircraft cabins; 

PARTNERS: Airbus, Aqua free, Diehl, DLR, Erlangen-Nuremberg University, 

Osram, Tesa, TUHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; DURATION: 04/20–03/23 

AIARA – artificial-intelligence-enabled highly adaptive robots for aerospace 

industry 4.0; PARTNERS: Broetje Automation, DLR, Element AI, FhG IPT, Kinova, 

UBC, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; DURATION: 04/20–03/23 

ADAPT – automated data link from design to production; PARTNERS: AIRBUS, 

Dassault Systemes, DLR, HSU, Synergeticon, TUHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo 

VI/1; DURATION: 07/20–06/23 

AUTOMATION & ROBOTICS 

MEDIFLY II – VLOS drone-based laboratory sample transport; PARTNERS: BWI, 

GLVI, Lufthansa Technik, Flynex, HAv, LIHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: mFUND; 

DURATION: 09/20–09/22

FUEL CELL & ELECTRICAL 

POWER SYSTEMS 

NAKULEK – natural circulation cooling for power electronics; PARTNERS: 

Airbus, Diehl, TUHH, XRG Simulation, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo V/2; 

DURATION: 07/16–06/20 

BILBO – fuel cell integration in the laboratory and operational optimization; 

PARTNERS: Airbus, Diehl, DLR TT, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: NIP/NOW; 

DURATION: 05/17–03/20 

ALF – additive manufacturing lightweight fuel cell; PARTNERS: ZAL GmbH, ZBT; 

FUNDING: ZIM; DURATION: 01/19–12/20 

GetPower2 – operational and safety aspects of an energy trolley 2; PARTNERS: 

Airbus, Diehl, DLR, Fraunhofer ICT-IMM, TUHH FST, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo 

V/3; DURATION: 04/19–12/22 

RTAPHM – development of a service broker technology for drone-based 

business models and data analytics to optimize fleet availability; PARTNERS: 

Airbus, Avienco, Fortiss, Linova, TU Darmstadt, TUHH, TU Ilmenau, ZAL GmbH; 


BETA – fuel cell system development for aviation; PARTNERS: Airbus, DLR, HSU, 

ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: NIP/NOW; DURATION: 10/20–03/24 


INTELLIGENT 

DIGITAL CABIN 

ReSA – development of retrofittable, open standard sensor platform with 

wireless data acquisition and analysis for predictive maintenance; PARTNERS: 

IMST GmbH, Lufthansa Technik, TUHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo V/3; 

DURATION: 08/18–07/22 

DELIA – distributed, extendable, lightweight, open, reliable, service-oriented 

architecture for next-generation mobility; PARTNERS: AED, Hamburg University, 

Soletrix, Stuttgart University, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: KMU-Innovativ; DURATION: 

02/19–01/22 

VERDIKA – connected digital cabin; PARTNERS: Airbus, Diehl, DLR, SAFRAN, 

TUHH, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; DURATION: 01/20–03/23 

LASER SHOCK 

PEENING 

PEENCOR – development and demonstration of autonomous forming and 

alignment procedures using laser peen forming; PARTNERS: Formtech, Helmholtz- 

Zentrum Geesthacht, Lüneburg University, ZAL GmbH; FUNDING: LuFo VI/1; 

DURATION: 05/20–04/23


FOLUHH 

CONTENT-RELATED Events 

ZAL INNOVATION TALK 

Interviews with well-known experts on future developments in aviation 

ZAL (DIGITAL) DISCOURSE 

Expert speakers, panel discussions, and lively exchange 

ZAL TECHWALK 

Experts presenting several projects at ZAL TechCenter 

ZAL X MEETS AVIATION 

Finding synergies across industry boundaries in a world café format 

28 — 29 

NETWORKING Events 

ZAL MANAGEMENT BREAKFAST 

Networking at management level 

ZAL SQUARETABLE NETWORK 

Topic-related networking in changing group constellations 

ZAL DIGITAL MEETUPS 

Casual online gatherings 

— The Aviation Research Network, abbreviated in German as FoLuHH, is connecting the aviation community and 

promoting innovation through a variety of activities and events. Therefore, it engages in topics such as product and 

process innovation, prototypes, topic-related networking, and public relations work. Furthermore, FoLuHH provides 

a platform for interdisciplinary exchanges and collaboration between scientific and economic partners, such as 

technology and innovation experts, research institutes, OEMs, and suppliers.

ZAL GMBH 

PERSONNEL 

+3 EMPLOYEES 

2020 


54 EMPLOYEES 

2019 

— Despite the corona crisis, the number of employees in the R&T sector increased by 3 due to the research 

projects. Overall, the number of employees rose from 54 to 57.

30 — 31

Innovation 

R&T 

INNOVATION R&T

32 — 33

INNOVATION R&T

34 — 35 

THE ODEON IN A NEW WAY 

The creative room was transformed in a 

very unusual way for an internal workshop


INTRODUCTION 

Accelerate 

and fly 

— There are many ideas for new projects. But which one is worth investing time and money in? Our experts Dr. Matthias 

Bonk and Niels Hennemann separate the wheat from the chaff – with sound and proven methods and in direct cooperation 

with our technology experts. Because they know that 80 percent of a project's success depends on selecting the 

right one. 

The task of the ZAL Innovation Accelerator team is to speaking, is one of the most important building blocks 

support partners who are willing to innovate step-bystep 

to achieve a project's success. In doing so, they building blocks are just as important! 

for developing a new business field. But not more – other 

apply agile methods and carry out all development steps 

according to the so-called fail-fast principle. This not only Therefore, our Accelerator team accompanies the entire 

has a positive effect on the speed of the innovation process 

but also on the realization of project ideas. 

prototype. For this purpose, our team selects suitable 

innovation process – on request from the idea to the 

methods and agile tools and, where necessary, brings in 

Due to the current economic situation, it is vital for many ZAL professionals who ensure the technical depth with 

companies to reinvent themselves right now. But how do specialized expertise. In this setup, the team evaluates 

you develop new business areas while keeping the risk as project ideas together with research partners and customers. 

The ideas are looked at according to technical 

low as possible? Our innovation experts offer the necessary 

know-how: from the need analysis via idea finding, feasibility and industrial relevance, along with other criteria. 

For quality assurance, the project ideas have to 

market screening, and project planning up to the creation 

of a prototype. As a neutral partner, they support pass through so-called quality gates. This allows the 

SMEs and OEMs in developing ideas and, more importantly, 

in filtering ideas according to agreed criteria and, idea meets the diverse requirements of the aerospace 

innovating parties to determine whether or not a project 

if necessary, letting them go. Only the best ideas remain, industry. The procedure reduces the risk of failing during 

and it often turns out that an idea that was initially cast the product launch enormously because it is possible to 

aside, actually promises the greatest success. It is in this identify at an early stage whether a product is suitable 

process that one realizes that an idea, generally for successful industrialization or market launch. 

INNOVATION R&T


FOUR PHASES OF INNOVATION 

START 

36 — 37 

01 NEED & IDEATION 

• Identification and analysis of customer needs 

• Development of solutions 

02 SCREENING & BENCHMARKING 

• Research and studies on the state of the art 

• Screening and monitoring

INDUSTRIALIZATION 

INNOVATION R&T 

03 CONCEPT 

• Development of product vision / user story 

• Planning of costs / resources 

• Assembling project teams 

04 PROTOTYPE (TECHNICAL OR SHOWCASE) 

• Incremental creation of hardware and software 

• Prototyping in the form of sprints 

• Agile coaching 

• Business model development


HEALTH TECH 

38 — 39 

Innovation Accelerator 

in Application 


Methods for fast innovation 

— The year 2020 confronted many areas of life with the 

need to reinvent themselves. Due to the pandemic, topics 

that had previously not played a role grew in importance 

within many industries. This was also the case in aviation. 

The real and perceived danger of contracting the coronavirus 

on a flight is one of the reasons for the slump in air 

traffic. Until the outbreak of the virus, the focus was on 

production issues relating to rate increases. But since 

then they have been superseded by considerations of 

developments that are intended to make air travel safer in 

terms of the risk of infection. So where, if not in a research 

center for applied aeronautical research, does one devote 

oneself to the topic of health tech? 

ZAL GmbH with its 40-strong research team took in the 

situation to develop solutions. The expertise of the 

Innovation Accelerator team determined the process 

according to an innovation funnel. This consists of four 

stages, which have to be passed through one after 

another. The process is characterized on the one hand 

by goal-oriented, strategic thinking, and a structured 

approach, and on the other hand by room for creativity, 

spontaneity, and new approaches. 

At the beginning of the innovation process, the starting 

point is defined. In this case, the open problem of a spreading 

pandemic that affects the safety perception of airline 

passengers. For that reason, the number of passengers

willing to travel decreased in 2020 far more than the entry 

restrictions of some destinations demanded. For aviation, 

an economic threat. »An open problem for which there is 

apparently no solution is typical for the initial situation of 

the innovation process,« confirms Niels Hennemann, Innovation 

Manager at ZAL GmbH. 

In the first phase, ›Need & Ideation,‹ the problem, collapse 

of air traffic and thus of all related economic sectors, is 

now analyzed from the perspective of customers, users, 

and operators. With the help of idea generation methods, 

initial solution approaches are outlined. In a further step, 

these are evaluated according to certain criteria, such as 

economic potential or feasibility. After their evaluation, 

the ideas are prioritized and a decision is made on which 

ideas are released for the second phase. 

In the second phase, ›Screening & Benchmarking,‹ market 

research and technology comparisons are carried 

out, and current trends and developments related to the 

project are examined. In this phase, the same applies as 

for the entire innovation process: the ideas are evaluated 

and must pass through so-called quality gates. »This 

procedure serves as an early and continuous check of 

success-determining dimensions and reduces risks. It is 

a key factor for the successful industrialization and market 

launch of innovative products,« explains Dr. Matthias 

Bonk, Innovation Manager at ZAL GmbH. 

In the third phase, ›Concept,‹ a comprehensive concept 

development takes place. Here, the innovations that 

have been identified and deemed valuable are further 

investigated, e.g. within the framework of concepts or 

studies. They help to deepen the topic and act as a 

starting point for further elaboration. 

The concept describes the initial functional requirements 

and shows their application-related benefits. It 

serves as a basis for project initialization and already 

provides an overview of resources, stakeholders, budgets, 

and the time frame. 

The goal of the fourth phase, ›Prototype,‹ is the development 

of a finished solution for example, a software 

or hardware prototype. This phase is characterized by 

an incremental approach in the form of sprints: small 

development steps combined with regular, close customer 

feedback. 

Going through an innovation process in phases is crucial 

to the outcome. It is the phases that create the structure 

necessary to identify mistakes and to increase innovation 

performance. The procedure ensures that all important 

steps are completed correctly on time. The goal remains 

in focus and can be achieved even faster. At ZAL, this 

approach helped identify three health tech topics, which 

are presented in the following. A fourth one was stopped 

accordingly to the above-mentioned criteria. 


INTERNAL AGILE WORKSHOP 

For an Innovation Accelerator workshop, 

the ZAL GmbH used the Odeon creatively


HEALTH TECH 

40 — 41 

AIR CURTAIN 

The air curtain is one of the solutions developed at ZAL. 

The idea behind is to prevent droplet circulation during 

flight. The initial situation is a full airplane cabin – a 

problem because many people in a small space pose 

one of the supposedly greatest risks of infection. Wearing 

masks that cover the mouth and nose may be a 

solution for boarding and deboarding, but it does 

greatly limit the comfort of travel, especially on longhaul 

routes. An air curtain from above is designed to 

remedy this. Specially 3D-printed air nozzles direct a 

stream of air from top to bottom, shielding the seating 

areas in the cabin from each other. Any aerosols from 

the breathing air can therefore not spread uncontrollably. 

Instead, the respiratory droplets are directed 

downward by the airflow and diverted into the cabin air 

system, where the air is filtered. 

Various aviation-specific aspects were taken into account 

in the concept development of this approach. As a result, 

the solution can be retrofitted individually for each airline, 

is lightweight, and enhances safety. 

GAMIFIED HANDWASH 

In the Need & Ideation phase of the innovation process, 

it was found that the feeling of real and perceived 

security is a critical point when traveling. On the one 

hand, passengers need support in hygiene behavior 

(often without even knowing it). On the other hand, 

passengers and operators need to know that all of the 

users are following the hygiene rules. An innovation 

for a gamified hand wash process is intended to 

improve this situation. A user-friendly interface 

encourages passengers to wash their hands correctly 

in accordance with hygiene regulations. Smear infections 

are thus prevented. 

The solution is based on AI. A high-resolution camera 

system recognizes several hand wash positions and controls 

the hand washing process. A smart mirror reflects 

the progress in a playful and accurate way, the user 

thereby being motivated to undergo the hand washing 

process properly. With this solution, the various aviation-specific 

aspects were taken into account, meaning 

that the solution can also be retrofitted in all kinds of 

lavatories, is lightweight, and enhances safety.

DIGITAL QUEUING TO KEEP SOCIAL DISTANCE 

To avoid queuing, the ZAL experts have developed 

a web application 


ACTIVE DIGITAL QUEUING 

As already mentioned the feeling of real and perceived 

safety is crucial when traveling. Another solution to 

improve safety is the idea of digital queuing. This helps 

to prevent the gathering of passengers in the lavatory 

areas and improves the inflight social distancing. The 

following figures prove that this is a solution to a problem 

that must be taken seriously: because on average, 

each passenger uses the lavatory twice during a longhaul 

flight. This means more than 600 lavatory visits 

per flight. There is approximately a 75 percent chance 

that passengers must wait in front of the lavatory, 

where the space is quite limited. 

The ZAL solution consists of a web application on the 

passenger's own device and an easy-to-use display at 

the lavatory. In the application, passengers register their 

intended lavatory visits discreetly per personal device. 

They are then assigned a place in the digital queue and 

when it is their turn, they receive a notification. The display 

on the toilet door confirms to the passenger that it 

is his or her turn. In case of urgent needs, the queue can 

be bypassed of course and this is reflected in the new 

assignments. The beauty of the solution is that it combines 

passenger service and safety. And of course, this 

solution is retrofittable and lightweight as well.

INTELLIGENT DIGITAL CABIN 

DELIA 

DELIA 

throws out the Net 

42 — 43 

— Welcome to the digital age! The Intelligent Digital 

Cabin challenges the assumptions about flight efficiency. 

It promises further cost savings for airlines 

through optimized maintenance, cabin- and ground 

operations. However, these smart functionalities need 

to be fully integrated into new digital ecosystems. To 

meet the changing demands of cabin systems, our ZAL 

cabin experts are constantly pushing new projects and 

cooperations. This is demonstrated especially by the 

progress in the DELIA project. 

The main goal of the project is to develop an innovative 

communication and processing platform for various inflight 

applications. The platform simultaneously enables 

a dynamic arrangement of system functions and 

the redistribution of the data stream. 

Modern onboard electronics are composed of applications 

that use technologically different communication 

systems. However, these may be incompatible with 

each other, or may not meet future requirements, such 

as high data rates, real-time capability, and dynamic 

cross-system communication. The DELIA team has 

therefore set itself the task of creating innovative network 

nodes. The functionalities of the nodes can be 

adapted to react to changing system requirements and 

network modifications. Thus, new functions can be 

installed quickly and easily without having to remove 

and replace components physically. 

Partners of the DELIA project are the Universities of 

Hamburg and Stuttgart, AED Engineering GmbH, and 

solectrix GmbH. The final step of this project is the 

development of a demonstrator, where the built-in 

functionalities as well as the know-how of all participants 

are combined in a test setup.

AI HACKATHON 

AT ZAL 

Collaborative AI 

Hackathon at ZAL 

— At the beginning of October, ZAL welcomed an interdisciplinary 

team from Premium Aerotec to a five-day 

hackathon in the AI Aviation Lab. The goal was to use AI 

to navigate a robot and to get to know each other better 

as a group, both professionally and personally. While 

the team at ZAL GmbH was able to provide the optimal 

framework with professional expertise. 

The hackathon began with a one-day introduction: how 

do you set up a development infrastructure? How to 

recognize objects with the help of AI? How to use the 

Robotic Operating System ROS for communication 

between individual devices? And how to generate synthetic 

image data with the help of 3D animation software? 

The introduction was rounded off by a workshop 

for agile exchange. 

From day two, the Premium Aerotec team was able to apply 

what they had learned: to solve the set task, the group used 

the versatile possibilities of the AI Aviation Lab. 

»The technical discussions with the ZAL experts in the 

field of artificial intelligence and robotics were a broadening 

of horizons and the gain in knowledge was enormous,« 

says Matthias Busse of Premium Aerotec about 

the successful hackathon. He and his team were particularly 

fond of the innovative approaches to developing 

and industrializing the flexible and intelligent production 

systems of the future in aircraft construction. 

They appreciated the way of gaining knowledge with the 

method of a hackathon. »For this purpose, there will 

now be many follow-up weeks within Premium Aerotec, 

in which intensive development and programming will 

take place together,« says Matthias. 


AI HACKATHON WITH SAFETY DISTANCE 

Group picture in front of the ZAL TechCenter, where Premium 

Aerotec and the ZAL experts met for the five-day hackathon

MEDIFLY HAMBURG 

THE FLYING AMBULANCE 

Medifly Hamburg 

The flying Ambulance 

44 — 45 

— Will we soon have unmanned ambulances flying 

through cities? Will we be using drones for healthcare? 

Drones and health, at first glance, seem like two topics 

that have nothing to do with each other. But anyone 

who takes a closer look and has perhaps even followed 

the developments of the Medifly showcase project in 

Hamburg already knows: in February 2020, a UAS flew 

in the middle of the city of Hamburg for the first time, 

simulating an ambulance service. 

The successful cooperation project has come together in 

the course of activities of the drone network Windrove – a 

network that ZAL GmbH launched to make Hamburg fit 

for UAS traffic (in the meantime, Windrove has been 

transferred to the Hamburg Aviation Cluster). After the EU 

declared Hamburg a UAM model region, it was clear that 

the city needed a real project. The Hamburg-based enterprises 

FlyNex GmbH, GLVI Gesellschaft für Luftverkehrsinformatik 

mbH, and Lufthansa Technik AG joined forces

with ZAL GmbH. They founded the consortium that would 

implement Medifly Hamburg. The project management 

was done by Boris Wechsler of ZAL GmbH. 

The underlying use case of the project is this: if hospitals 

do not have their own pathology departments to examine 

tissue, it is transported to other hospitals by cab courier 

or blue-light ride. At the same time, the patient is still lying 

on the operating table. The transport must thus be very 

fast – a real challenge considering the traffic situation in 

cities like Hamburg. The cooperation project is testing 

whether laboratory sample transport during surgery is 

faster, simpler, more reliable, and safer than by taxi or 

ambulance. Another important goal is to integrate UAS 

into the complex airspace of a large city, like in the case of 

Hamburg, the control zone of an international airport. It is 

also important to gain public acceptance. 

In February, the time had come to test the case. The drone 

flew five kilometers as the crow flies from the helipad of 

Hamburg's army hospital in Wandsbek-Gartenstadt to the 

Marienkrankenhaus hospital in Hohenfelde – six times. 

The research project funded by the German Federal Ministry 

of Transport and Digital Infrastructure (BMVI) successfully 

demonstrated the use of unmanned aircraft for 

the acute transport of medical specimens. And has thus 

shown: one can use UAS in the middle of the city and 

within the control zone of an international airport to 

transport medical samples. The use of a drone facilitates 

and shortens the transport. The test flights have shown 

that this works reliably and safely. 

MEDIFLY – DISTINGUISHED INNOVATION 

In May, Minister of Transport and Digital Infrastructure 

Andreas Scheuer presented the German government's 

action plan for unmanned aerial systems and innovative 

aviation concepts to the federal cabinet. The plan 

intended to enable the use of drones – and, in the long 

run, air taxis – as regular modes of transport. Sabrina 

John of GLVI, the new project manager of Medifly II, 

presented the Hamburg-based project to those 

present. 

Also in May, the German Federal Ministry for Economic 

Affairs and Energy awarded Medifly Hamburg with the 

innovation prize ›Regulatory Sandbox‹ in the category 

›Retrospect‹. This was to give Medifly recognition for 

achieving successful test flights, for demonstrating the 

feasibility of medical transport by UAS, and for laying 

the foundations for regular operations. 

At the end of the year, there was more good news. 

Andreas Scheuer officially presented to Medifly the 

grant of the Ministry of Transport and Digital Infrastructure 

to continue the project. This marked the 

start of another two-year project phase, which is 

intended to expand the basis of regular operations 

for medical drone transport in metropolitan areas. 

Moreover, the drone project will develop further 

routes and will involve the Hamburg population within 

information formats. 

INNOVATION R&T

46 — 47


TechCenter 

ZAL TECHCENTER

48 — 49

ZAL TECHCENTER


HOW ZAL HAS TACKLED COVID-19 

50 — 51 

ZAL TechCenter 

Adapting to the new Circumstances 

— While the first lockdown took ZAL largely by surprise, 

the second felt almost routine by the end of the year. It 

is understood that the coronavirus is staying with us for 

now. And one needs to establish long-term strategies 

that will help ZAL and aviation as a whole through this 

severe crisis. 

The new situation has required many adjustments. 

However, while working life has changed fundamentally 

and digitized in many areas, the operational life at ZAL 

TechCenter has been maintained throughout. Special 

safety and hygiene measures as well as restrictions in 

certain areas have been introduced to the research 

center. Also ZAL tenants have implemented their own 

company regulations to deal with the situation. Most 

work in rotating teams, alternating between working 

from home and from ZAL. The research center has 

become emptier, though tenant presence has never 

dropped below one third. Thus, even the restaurant has 

remained open, of course with distance rules for the 

queue and individual tables standing far apart. 

AVIATION RESEARCH NETWORK AND COVID-19 

Usually, active networking is an integral part among ZAL 

TechCenter partners. Workshops and networking, matches 

at the soccer table, management breakfasts, technical discourses, 

or barbecues on the terrace – all events with personal 

interaction. Circumstances have led to a temporary 

pause for these event formats. Thanks to digitization, many 

other formats could be saved or transformed. Teams, 

Zoom, ClickMeeting, Wonder – the digital possibilities for 

communication are there and have since helped the 

research players through the lean period until we can experience 

our network in person again.


SAFETY FIRST 

Distance and hygiene are a top priority throughout the building


HOW ZAL HAS TACKLED COVID-19 

CREATIVE AT HOME 

Games, quizzes, challenges, and digital coffee breaks 

keep up the communication between colleagues 

52 — 53 

ZAL GMBH – DIGITAL NATIVES AT WORK 

At the beginning of the crisis, few at ZAL GmbH thought 

that it would be possible to work together so well 

remotely. Digital developments have proven to be absolutely 

helpful. From daily meetings to finding cross-regional 

consortia for research projects, everything has 

been tried and tested as feasible. 

Most colleagues have worked about 75 percent of their 

time from home depending on their jobs and projects. 

The daily work routine has changed but has not become 

less effective. All colleagues, most of them digital 

natives, have been highly motivated to do their part to 

ensure that ZAL GmbH continues to function well. Digitization 

has also made it possible to take remote work 

to new extremes. For example, our AI experts demonstrated 

to us how easily they could operate the AI Aviation 

Lab remotely. They simply accessed sensors and 

computing units from home. This allowed them to run 

tests with only occasional adjustments having to be 

made at ZAL.

VIRTUAL CHRISTMAS PARTY 

The Airbus orchestra surprise 

concert was one of the highlights 


COMMUNICATIONS RELOADED 

A basic condition for the success of remote work at ZAL 

GmbH was good communication. From the beginning of 

the crisis, the management and team leaders attached 

great importance to as much transparency as possible. 

Transparency creates trust, and that is the most important 

asset in uncertain times. 

exchanges must not be neglected, either. After all, the 

new situation prevents joint lunches or meetings by 

chance over coffee in the kitchen. To provide a substitute 

here, we introduced digital coffee breaks and hallway 

conversations or games sessions at the end of the 

working day as organized meetings. 

That's why we took the situation as an opportunity to 

reinvent our internal communications. The close crisis 

communication was soon implemented as a set meeting 

for the various team representatives. While colleagues' 

communication in the past was often characterized by 

small tidbits of information from casual conversations, 

the new form of communication ensures a regular and 

qualitatively filtered update from the teams. 

However, this should not obscure the fact that informal 

It remains to be seen which parts of the new work culture 

will later be integrated into everyday working life. 

However, many of the new solutions have not only 

already proven their worth, but also become a cherished 

element of the daily rhythm at work.


PICNIC SPOT 

PICNIC SPOT 

The new colorful area for (lunch-)breaks 

54 — 55 

The Picnic Spot 

A Picnic Meadow 

in the middle of ZAL 

— A fresh splash of color at ZAL. Alongside the creative 

spaces, a colorful picnic meadow now joins the otherwise 

very technical premises of the ZAL TechCenter. 

With its green walls and yellow chairs, the design concept 

of the so-called Picnic Spot is reminiscent of sunflowers 

in a field. 

With its cheerful colors, it lifts people's spirits. And as 

the name suggests, it is meant for a short break and for 

sharing a meal ›in the greens.‹ 

As an extended dining area, the Picnic Spot complements 

the ZAL Restaurant. Anyone who wants to can 

take the lunch from the canteen upstairs to the spot. It's 

also ideal for people to bring their own food. Tenants 

can reserve the area as a catering space for small events 

and meetings. Those who work at ZAL can also benefit 

from the Picnic Spot as a meeting place for a coffee 

break in between, or simply as an alternative space to 

work. In October, ZAL officially opened the area, which 

now warmly welcomes all tenants.


TEST DRILLINGS FOR ZAL EXPANSION 

TEST DRILLING 

A first small step towards ZAL expansion 

Preparation 

for Takeoff 


— Something was happening on the ZAL site, right 

where the ZAL TechCenter extension is to be built. 

There were large vehicles at work in August. But, even 

though it looked like it, this was not the groundbreaking 

ceremony for the expansion. 

What was taking place here was preparation work – a 

soil investigation. Boreholes drilled to a depth of up to 

32 meters are supposed to provide information about 

the bearing capacity of the soil, the water table, and any 

contamination. 

The ZAL expansion will take place in two stages: an 

extension to the existing ZAL TechCenter and a new 

building with a multistory car park on the opposite 

side of the road. Until the start of construction in fall 

2021, alternative parking spaces have to be prepared, 

building permits obtained, and tenders for the construction 

work completed. ZAL CEO Gerhards expects 

the extension to be completed mid to end 2023. 

The newly created areas will enable even more partners 

from science and industry to conduct applied aeronautical 

research under one roof. The Hamburg government 

considers this an important strengthening of the 

aviation location. For this reason, the ZAL expansion is 

also part of the coalition agreement between the two 

government partners, the SPD and the Green party. In 

the end, up to 20,000 square meters are to be created. 

The new areas will be dedicated to topics such as green 

aviation, aviation start-ups, and innovation services for 

partners. These are topics that are already well underway 

but will be be pushed further in the future.

56 — 57


Events 

EVENTS

58 — 59

EVENTS

ZAL EVENTS 

AI AVIATION LAB OPENING 

Testing Playground for AI 

ZAL opens AI Aviation Lab 

AI DEMONSTRATION 

Dr. Felix Heinrich presents the AI Aviation Lab 

60 — 61 

— In January, ZAL celebrated the opening of the AI 

Aviation Lab. The technology platform for artificial 

intelligence (AI) and deep learning is another infrastructure 

for applied aeronautical research in the ZAL 

TechCenter. With the establishment of the laboratory, 

ZAL is adapting current technological developments 

into aviation. AI has long since evolved from a trend 

to a decisive factor for sustainable business success. 

AI-based technologies are currently generating innovations 

in all industries. At ZAL, the focus is on aviation. 

The opening ceremony itself was reserved for a small 

group of invited guests consisting of supervisory board 

members and close partners of ZAL such as universities 

and startups, representatives from the city, authorities, 

and government. In addition to the presentation 

and introduction to the possibilities of the laboratory, 

exciting technical contributions awaited the guests. 

Roland Gerhards, CEO of ZAL GmbH, and AI expert 

Dr. Leonid Lichtenstein, coordinator of the AI Aviation 

Lab, welcomed the guests together. Afterwards, 

three keynotes – from Prof. Stefan Wermter from the 

University of Hamburg, Yasar Goedecke and Andreas 

Dannemann from Lufthansa Technik, and Thorben 

Wiese from 3D.aero – introduced the world of artificial 

intelligence. The theoretical presentations were 

followed by practical demonstrations of AI applications. 

In addition, questions were answered about 

the use of the AI Aviation Lab, which is also available 

for booking to external partners. 

Over a delicious dinner, the guests took stock of the 

day's impressions and talked about their ideas and 

projects in a relaxed atmosphere. The opportunity to 

network as well as a selection of exhibition pieces from 

Elektronik Kunst rounded out the celebrations.

THE POSSIBILITIES OF AI 

In four AI demonstrations, the guests were given 

an introduction to the exciting AI technology 

EVENTS

COMMERCIAL AVIATION 5 YEARS FROM NOW 

In the new digital event series Jon Ostrower, 

founder and editor-in-chief of ›The Air Current,‹ 

talked with Roland Gerhards and Lukas Kaestner 

about some of the hottest topics in aviation 

62 — 63 

MRO FIVE YEARS FROM NOW 

Dr. Johannes Bussmann, CEO Lufthansa Technik, about the 

development of MRO in aviation 

AVIATION IN TIMES OF COVID-19 

Prof. Rolf Henke, Executive Board Member for Aeronautics Research and 

Technology at DLR, about the impact of COVID-19 on the aviation industry


ZAL INNOVATION TALKS 

Top-Class Speakers 

on a hot Topic 

— Since large live events were obviously not possible 

in 2020, we felt compelled to reorganize our flagship 

event ZAL Innovation Days. Thus, an event series was 

organized following the same credo as its big sister: 

feeding the hunger for innovative input, pursuing 

highly topical issues, and at the same time allowing 

participants to exchange ideas with top-level experts. 

For the time being, the ZAL Innovation Talks complement 

the ZAL Innovation Days. The event format can 

be streamed as a live digital interview which provides 

space to answer questions from the audience. Roland 

Gerhards, CEO of ZAL GmbH, and Lukas Kaestner, 

Hamburg Aviation's Head of Marketing, PR and Events, 

talk with top-class speakers about hot aviation topics. 

In May, ZAL hosted the first event of the new series. 

Prof. Rolf Henke, Executive Board Member for Aeronautics 

Research and Technology at DLR, talked about 

his experiences and the impact COVID-19 has had 

on the aviation industry. The interview covered the 

effects of the crisis on aviation so far as well as contributions 

by European institutions such as EASA and 

Clean Aviation, and possible effects on topics such as 

sustainability, urban air mobility, or electrical flying. 

The second event was an interview with Dr. Johannes 

Bussmann, CEO of Lufthansa Technik, about the development 

of MRO in aviation. Starting with the current 

situation and the effects of the COVID-19 crisis, the 

conversation went on to future developments as well 

as the steps to be taken on the way to recovery, and: 

the role of Hamburg in designing the future of aviation. 

In December, Jon Ostrower, founder and editor-in-chief 

of ›The Air Current‹ discussed with Roland Gerhards 

some of the hottest questions that the industry has 

had on the table: the changes and long-term effects of 

the global situation in 2020 on aviation. The subjects 

under discussion included the trend toward decarbonization 

of aviation, long-term changes in the health 

awareness of airline passengers, and future developments 

in regional air traffic, to name but a few. The 

global significance of the topics was reflected in the 

internationality of the participants. Over 50 percent 

of the audience joined from outside Germany, ranging 

from the USA to South Africa and Indonesia. 

EVENTS


ZAL DIGITAL TECHWALK 

ONE OF THREE CURRENT PROJECTS 

Dr. Leonid Lichtenstein and Dr. Felix Heinrich 

demonstrated the UR10e robot at the AI Aviation Lab 

64 — 65 

Digital TechWalk 

Events reinvented at ZAL 

— With the intention to let aviation partners experience 

the ZAL TechCenter from any place in the world, we 

invented the event format ›Digital TechWalk.‹ Another 

virtual event but with a special feature – instead of a 

presentation from the home desk, the participants 

experience a live demonstration from the halls and 

laboratories of ZAL. Location and speaker change with 

the topic while a moderator moves through the building 

to the places of demonstration. The interview does not 

only give the event an exciting live character but also 

allows the participants to ask their own questions. 

The Digital TechWalk premiere focused on three current 

projects realized by three different partners. Dr. Leonid 

Lichtenstein and Dr. Felix Heinrich from ZAL GmbH were 

the first to present. During their session, the experts 

showed the audience around the ZAL AI Aviation Lab. 

They gave a demonstration of a prototype UR10e robot, 

which they had programmed in the lab. 

The event continued with the presentation of Sven 

Lammers from Dassault Systèmes: he showed a demonstrator 

from the DLR Institute for System Architectures 

in Aviation and the 3DEXPERIENCE Center of 

Dassault Systèmes. It explores some of today's technologies 

as well as future ones, and will drive industrial 

change goals in aviation. 

Synergeticon's CEO Christoph Heß and his colleague Ozan 

Güngör concluded with an overview of their AI-powered 

vision system, which is being used for adherence to secure 

operating concepts in buildings. The system detects 

whether mouth and nose covers are being worn correctly 

and can detect increased body temperature. 

Due to the great success and possibility for participants 

worldwide to join, the Digital TechWalk will soon be 

continued.

HAMBURG AVIATION FORUM 

AT ZAL 

HAMBURG AVIATION FORUM 

The panel at ZAL included (f.l.t.r.): Nils Stoll, 1st Chairman of 

Hanse-Aerospace e.V. and Managing Director of Krüger Aviation, 

Ina Morgenroth, 1st Authorized Representative and Managing Director 

of IG Metall Hamburg, Dr. Johannes Bussmann, Chairman of the 

Lufthansa Technik Executive Board, Michael Westhagemann, Senator 

for Economics and Innovation, André Walter, Plant Manager Hamburg 

and Chairman of the Airbus Executive Board, and Dr. Franz Josef 

Kirschfink, former Managing Director of Hamburg Aviation 

Live from ZAL 

58th Hamburg Aviation 

Forum in a different Way 

OPENING REMARKS 

Lukas Kaestner, Head of Marketing, PR & 

Events of Hamburg Aviation welcomed 

the audience during the live broadcast 

EVENTS 

— A 200 square meters room with a view into the halls 

of ZAL, 7 chairs distributed with a distance of 1.5 m 

each, two halogen spotlights in front of them – This is 

the setting for the summer edition of the Hamburg Aviation 

Forum in 2020 to be broadcasted on TV. Due to the 

circumstances, ZAL has become an exclusive TV studio! 

For many years, the Hamburg Aviation Forum has 

been an institution of Hamburg's aviation cluster and 

the place to be for exchanging information about current 

matters in the industry. But this year everything 

is different, and so is the Forum. The event industry 

quickly understood that it needs to reinvent itself. If 

you can't visit the event, the event comes to you. Thus 

Hamburg Aviation in cooperation with the local TV station 

Hamburg 1 decided to broadcast the 58th Forum 

live from the ZAL TechCenter. 

The headline of the event was adapted to the hot topic 

›Aviation in the intensive care unit?‹ The discussion 

was led by five representatives of the Hamburg aviation 

industry and politics. 

As the ›voice of the federal government,‹ Thomas Jarzombek, 

Federal Government Coordinator of German 

Aerospace Policy as well as Economic Affairs Ministry’s 

Commissioner for the Digital Industry and Start-ups, 

described his assessment of the situation in an interview. 

Heinrich Großbongardt, a well-known aviation 

journalist of Hamburg's aviation scene, then gave 

his detailed assessment of the situation. Afterwards, 

selected guests exchanged their views on the situation 

and discussed the effects and possible ways out of the 

most serious crisis in aviation.


IMPRINT 

ZAL CENTER OF APPLIED 

AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH 

Hein-Sass-Weg 22 

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Germany 

T +49-40-248-595-0 

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zal.aero/newsletter 

foluhh@zal.aero – registration via e-mail 

PHOTO CREDITS 

Daniel Reinhardt 

Stefan Nagott 

EDITORIAL 

Annika Mollenhauer, ZAL GmbH 

Bettina Brunswig, ZAL GmbH 

Lisa Becker, ZAL GmbH 

Meike Herbst, ZAL GmbH 

Miriam-Joana Flügger, ZAL GmbH 

CONCEPT & DESIGN 

Mjam Mjam Design, Hamburg 

mail@mjammjam.com 

www.mjammjam.com 

PRINT PRODUCTION 

Media Druckwerk, Hamburg 

mailbox@mediadruckwerk.de 

www.mediadruckwerk.de

ZAL-YB-020

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