FUTURED. ZAL Magazin 2025

Future. Created in Hamburg.

r2025

WHAT’S IN FOR ME?

H 2 FORECAST

Check out the aviation horoscope

for 2025 and stay tuned

for the next ZAL.award.

Maritime joins H 2 research at ZAL.

And Hamburg updates Green

Aviation Roadmap.

ZAL MAGAZINE

T

2025

u

U

e

FOR WORK OR LEISURE?

This FUTURED magazine

provides tech news, podcasts,

a crossword puzzle and

info on the ZAL kicker league.

['fju t∫әd]

FUTURED is an adjective … describing what

we do. We shape the future of aviation.

Every day. Together. The FUTURED magazine

is a part of this, showing what we strive

for, what we implement, and how we do it.

We are progressive, passionate, and visionary.

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FUTURED.

ZAL MAGAZINE

2

“Joint H 2 research

fosters innovation in

aviation and maritime.”

Prof. Dr.-Ing. Carlos Jahn

Roland Gerhards, CEO ZAL, (right) welcomes

new ZAL tenant: Prof. Carlos Jahn, Head

of Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics

and Services.

HYDROGEN RESEARCH

AT ZAL: MARITIME

GETS ON BOARD

In the context of the H 2 AM (Hanseatic Hydrogen Center

for Aviation and Maritime) funding initiative, the city of

Hamburg has tasked its two leading sectors, aviation and

maritime, with developing and testing hydrogen- and

fuel cell-based technologies under real-world conditions.

The goal is to make a significant contribution to decarbonization.

A great challenge – one that, the city hopes,

can be met through the synergies of joint research.

GERHARDS Hello, Professor Jahn, and welcome to ZAL Tech-

Center! We are delighted that Fraunhofer CML has chosen our

facility as the home for its Fuel Cell Integration Center laboratory

– also known as FCIC – dedicated to the research and development

of fuel cell systems for maritime applications.

JAHN Thank you, our scientists are also looking forward to

bright and spacious facilities as well as the opportunity to operate

our fuel cell in your well-equipped environment and

start our work at our new location.

GERHARDS Would you please introduce Fraunhofer CML to

our aviation partners. What are your focus areas?

JAHN ”Innovating the Maritime Sector” is the guiding principle

at Fraunhofer Center for Maritime Logistics and Services, CML

in short. True to this mission, the Hamburg research institution

contributes to improving sustainability and process efficiency

in maritime operations, port handling and service concepts

through AI applications. New solutions for autonomous systems

as well as the digitalization of navigation and communication

further enhance the safety and ease of maritime traffic.

GERHARDS CML has a modern new research facility in Hamburg-Harburg.

How do you justify the move to ZAL to your

own industry peers and beyond?

drogen, a new research field for Fraunhofer CML. You have

appropriately equipped laboratories at ZAL TechCenter, allowing

us to benefit from the existing infrastructure, which

gives us a time advantage in achieving our research goals.

But besides the existing hardware, there are also substantive

reasons to seek proximity to aviation. We face similar

challenges.

GERHARDS That’s true, infrastructure, refueling, high demands

for reliability and safety along with climate conditions are topics

that affect both of our industries and bring us together.

What topics will you be giving priority to in the new lab?

JAHN In the new Fuel Cell Integration Center, our researchers

will investigate the use of fuel cell technology in the maritime

sector and co-develop the necessary solutions. As in aviation,

special requirements are a priority on board a ship, albeit different

ones. Ship movements, temperature fluctuations, high

UV radiation, humidity and corrosive conditions place high

demands on the materials used.

GERHARDS Yes, environmental effects on materials and systems

are challenges for us as well. How do fuel cells perform

under different air pressures, and how do various materials

behave at -253 degrees Celsius, the temperature of liquid hydrogen?

To explore these questions, we will be implementing

an altitude chamber and a cryo chamber at ZAL.

JAHN Exciting. We look forward to exchanging ideas on these

and other topics. The ZAL network represents a significant

added value for us in this context: innovative companies that

take on new challenges as well as researchers solving

comparable tasks present an opportunity for us to expand

the boundaries of knowledge with new clients and research

partners.

3

JAHN We are taking up the lab spaces as part of H 2 AM: to advance

decarbonization, the maritime sector must turn to hy-

GERHARDS I completely agree – our strength lies in collaborative

research.

CONTENTS.

AI &

DIGITALIZATION

AUTOMATION &

MANUFACTURING

HYDROGEN &

SUSTAINABILITY CABIN MRO

IMPULSES &

OUTLOOK

4

The FUTURED magazine is for reading,

listening and watching!

Article

Audio

Email

Video

Website

06 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK Crossword Puzzle

08 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK When Aviation Meets Maritime: Joint H 2 Research at ZAL

10 LUFTHANSA TECHNIK A Home for Sustainable Innovation

12 SFS Sustainable Material Management

14 ZAL GMBH Greencode vs. Power-Hungry Software

16 IDS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO Cabin Design Study with VÆRIDION

18 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK ZAL.award: When Teamwork meets Innovation

20 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK ZAL.award Winner 2024: Hydrogen Aviation Lab

22 DIEHL AVIATION “Have the Courage for New Ideas!”

24 ESPLORO PROJECTS National Interests and European Collaboration

26 AKKODIS Transforming Aviation for a Sustainable Future

28 DLR, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & OVERHAUL The Go-To Place for MRO Research

30 DLR, MAINTENANCE, REPAIR & OVERHAUL Every Lab Counts

32 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK Hamburg Updates Green Aviation Roadmap

34 DLR, ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS DLR’s Multi-Stack Test Rig for Hydrogen Aviation

36 DLR, SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES IN AERONAUTICS Opening the Room for a New Era in Aviation

38 DLR, SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES IN AERONAUTICS Think Ahead, Supply Chain in Mind

40 JETLITE A Science-Driven Vision

42 FFT Aircraft Production – Intelligent Automation at Every Phase

44 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK 2025 in Charts: Aviation’s Make-or-Break Year for Innovation

48 ZAL GMBH Built to Last, Easy to Recycle

50 AIRBUS The World’s First Thermoplastic Fuselage at ZAL

52 FRAUNHOFER IFAM Major Component Assembly of MFFD

54 FRAUNHOFER IFAM Optimized Aircraft Fuselage Assembly

56 CAPGEMINI Digital Twins: Bridging Physical and Virtual Worlds with XR

58 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK Kicks & Collaboration

62 TECCON Hydrogen Takes Off – Sustainably into the Future

64 PRODOSE Visioportation – Teleportation Is Now!

66 SIEMENS Virtual Certification Using the Digital Thread

68 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK ZAL Expert Community

70 FEV FEV Detects High-Voltage Discharge in Aerospace

72 ZAL GMBH H 2 -Drones: From Prototype to Commercial Reality

74 THELSYS What Weight Is Your Innovation?

76 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK Hamburg Aviation Green Podcast

78 IMPULSES & OUTLOOK The Potential of proTechnicale Alumnae

80 Imprint

5

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

BECOME

LEGEND …

1

The first episode

of a (Netflix) series.

4

5

… on our (not yet famous) wall of

fame! Crack the URL of this ultra -

challenging crossword puzzle – and

remember: the toughest challenges

are best tackled as a team.

Have fun!

3

Typical color

of Kuka robots.

1

6

3

Greek wind god

and Linux operating

system.

7

NAME OF ZAL

RESEARCH

CENTER.

8

11

6

WHAT WORD DOES

THE D IN THE ACRONYM

LIDAR STAND FOR?

2

4

Airplanes

and ZAL

have two.

WHAT DOES

PEM STAND

FOR?

FAVORITE DISH ON

MONDAYS.

THE HEART OF

AIRCRAFT

MANUFACTURING.

CROSSWORD PUZZLE

2

MAIN BODY

OF AN

AIRPLANE.

Answers consisting of

multiple words are written

as one word, no spaces, no

special characters, figures

are written out in full.

SURNAME OF THE

WINNER OF THE ZAL

SCIENCE SLAM 2024.

9 10

USED FOR

TAKEOFFS AND

LANDINGS.

5

1. Write out: the number

of the ferry between

Rüsch Park and

Teufelsbrück.

2. Airbus project for

hydrogen-powered

aircraft.

3. Extendable, high-lift

devices on the leading

edge of an aircraft

wing to increase lift at

low speeds.

4. Study of forces acting

on objects in flight.

Canteen operator at ZAL.

12

13

German aviation

pioneer.

6

REFERRED

TO AS

JET-A OR

JET-A1.

5. Name of the ferry

pier opposite Teufelsbrück.

6. What is ZAL Tech-

Center‘s house

number?

7. An initial model or test

version of a design

used for evaluation

and research.

8. Streaks of cloud-like

vapor formed by aircraft

engines at high

altitudes.

7

14

Backup device

providing power

to essential AC

systems during an

emergency.

15

7

8

GERMAN

HOME-

TOWN OF

THE BOEING

FAMILY.

9

9. AC manufacturer

aiming to compete

with Boeing and

Airbus.

10. Acronym for Robotguided

Additive

Manufacturing.

11. Term for really cold

liquid like LH 2 .

12. Kitchen area on an

aircraft.

13. High speeds in the air

and at the kicker table.

14. The height of an aircraft

above sea level.

15. Location of Paris Air

Show in 2025.

www.zal.aero/

1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

WHEN AVIATION

MEETS MARITIME:

JOINT HYDROGEN

RESEARCH AT ZAL

8

In March, ZAL received a funding of 12 million

euros to expand its hydrogen research

and, for the first time, initiate a collaboration

with the maritime industry to jointly

advance hydrogen applications. The funding

provider is the German Federal Ministry

for Digital and Transport (BMDV).

With a total funding of 69.8 million euros,

BMDV is supporting the establishment of a

North German Hanseatic Hydrogen Center for

Aviation and Maritime (H 2 AM), which aims to

drive hydrogen and fuel cell research in aviation

and maritime at three locations: Hamburg,

Stade and Bremen / Bremerhaven. Responsibility

for the Hamburg-based projects

lies with ZAL GmbH and the Fraunhofer Center

for Maritime Logistics and Services (CML).

ZAL is utilizing the funding to expand its inhouse

Fuel Cell Lab. This includes the provision

of a hydrogen liquefier as well as the construction

of two test chambers: one for altitude simulation

and another for cryogenic applications

with liquid hydrogen at -253°C. The facility is

designed to support stakeholders engaged in

hydrogen research and development. In alignment

with H 2 AM, the expansion will particularly

focus on filling gaps in testing and certification

services currently lacking in the market,

while also fostering international collaboration

to establish standards. To this end, ZAL

offers start-ups, SMEs as well as industry and

research partners an ideal development environment

to position themselves competitively

on a global scale.

A new milestone for ZAL is the upcoming collaboration

with the maritime industry. For this

purpose, Fraunhofer CML, also a recipient of

H 2 AM funding, will establish a laboratory within

the ZAL Fuel Cell Lab. The joint research will

focus on system integration, infrastructure, refueling

as well as the reliability and safety of

hydrogen applications. To achieve these goals,

ZAL will interconnect existing experts, bring in

new external partners and build fresh collaborations.

Hamburg’s already strong hydrogen

network will gain further momentum. ZAL and

CML expect significant synergy effects from

this partnership, bringing aviation and maritime

closer to their shared objective of reducing

emissions in mobility.

WHEN AVIATION MEETS MARITIME: JOINT HYDROGEN RESEARCH AT ZAL

H 2

9

“The expansion of our existing hydrogen infrastructure

and the new collaboration between

aviation and maritime are crucial steps toward

emission-free mobility. With the addition of a

liquefier and two test chambers, we are strengthening

our research foundation and creating

new opportunities for both current and future

hydrogen stakeholders.”

Roland Gerhards, CEO ZAL

LUFTHANSA TECHNIK

Inside a 20-meter segment of a

retired A320, Lufthansa Technik

is researching resource-efficient

cabin interiors.

10

A HOME FOR

SUSTAINABLE

INNOVATION

CONTACT

Christoph Lieske

christoph.lieske@lht.dlh.de

Since 2023, Lufthansa Technik has been operating

its Airbus A320 cabin mock-up at

the ZAL Center of Applied Aeronautical Research

in Hamburg. What started as a retired

aircraft from the Lufthansa Group has

now become a dynamic research hub.

The journey to its new home was no small

feat – cutting a 20-meter section from an A320,

transporting it from Lufthansa Technik’s base

at Hamburg Airport through the city toward

Finkenwerder, installing it at ZAL TechCenter,

and later relocating it to the recently extended

research space, where it has now reached its final

destination. Now fully operational, the mockup

offers a real aircraft environment for testing

and validating new technologies, making it an invaluable

asset for innovation.

The cabin has been carefully refurbished, featuring

a complete galley, two lavatories, eleven

rows of economy seating, and standard cabin

lining. Additionally, it includes a six-meter open

space for flexible installations, along with a reactivated

air conditioning recirculation system.

These enhancements make it a versatile testing

platform for a wide range of research and development

topics in aviation.

Already, the mock-up has been instrumental in

projects such as wireless data communication

within the cabin and the testing of innovative

A HOME FOR SUSTAINABLE INNOVATION

graphene-based materials for air filtration. But

its potential doesn’t stop there: ongoing research

continues to push the limits of innovation, especially

in aircraft cabins and sustainability.

THE RECAB PROJECT:

PIONEERING A RESOURCE-EFFICIENT

FUTURE FOR AIRCRAFT CABINS

One of the latest projects leveraging the A320

mock-up is RECab, a research program aimed

at making aircraft cabins more resource-efficient.

RECab, funded by the Federal Ministry

for Economic Affairs and Climate Action, brings

together Lufthansa Technik, Diehl Aviation and

Hamburg’s top universities (TUHH and HAW

Hamburg) to explore resource-efficient solutions

for future aircraft cabins.

Sustainability in aviation is a complex challenge

– it requires balancing ecological, economic

and social factors. RECab takes a holistic

approach, ensuring that new materials and technologies

are not just environmentally friendly

but also economically viable and socially compatible.

One of the project’s key innovations is

the development of an ESG score, based on

28 key performance indicators, which assesses

sustainability across all 17 United Nations Sustainable

Development Goals. Another crucial

aspect is integrating sustainability into product

development processes, identifying key decision

points that impact long-term environmental performance.

• GuideU

Lufthansa Technik’s non-electric floor path

marking system is undergoing a sustainability

transformation. The project is exploring recycling

strategies to recover valuable raw materials

and designing a fully circular version of

the product. New luminescent elements and

scratch-resistant surfaces serve to extend

product lifespan and facilitate unlimited reuse.

• Optimizing the potable water

system refueling

Reducing an aircraft’s weight directly lowers fuel

consumption and CO 2 emissions. Many older

aircraft models lack precise system control

over potable water use, often leading to excess

onboard water weight. RECab is developing

smart monitoring and automation solutions,

such as automatic water consumption tracking

and demand-driven refueling. To test these

advancements, two demonstrators have been

built: one featuring an original A320 potable

water system and another incorporating A330

tank components. Additionally, the potable water

system of the A320 mock-up has been fully

reactivated for system integration tests and

performance validation.

11

Technologically, Lufthansa Technik is driving multiple

initiatives within RECab, including the evaluation

of AeroFlax, improvements to GuideU,

and enhancements to potable water system efficiency.

• AeroFlax

This natural flax-fiber composite material is

being tested for its heat resistance and suitability

in aircraft interiors. With weight being a

critical factor in aviation, comparing AeroFlax

with conventional fiberglass composites could

open new possibilities for lightweight, sustainable

cabin materials.

Lufthansa Technik’s research platform has relocated to its new home in

the expanded ZAL facility.

SFS

SUSTAINABLE

MATERIAL

MANAGEMENT

12

Learn more

about SFS here.

Back in the day, materials were chosen in

the aviation industry based on maximum

safety and high performance with minimum

weight. The focus was on the impact

of each component on “its” environment,

not what making, operating and disposing

it meant for our environment.

The aviation industry has been undergoing a

change of view on this in the past few years, realizing

that ecological footprints have to be a

major factor in all decisions. SFS is closely examining

ways of manufacturing its products in a

way that uses fewer resources and increasing

the recyclability of the materials used.

RAFINESS is a German-Austrian project with

eight corporate partners that has set itself the

goal of achieving “environmentally friendly aviation”

with the aid of robot-guided additive manufacturing

on cabin sandwich structures. Taking

an aircraft luggage rack as an example, a concept

was developed for how to optimize future

brackets for lightweight structures and integrate

them into honeycomb structures.

The biggest challenge for SFS was to cut the

number of materials in existing fastening systems

for aircraft luggage racks and replace them

with a single recyclable and bio-based multigrade

polymer. Analysis quickly revealed that no

single material can meet all the requirements.

Modern cabin components are acoustically separated

from the fuselage structure, so as not to

transmit the noise of the engines and air flow

inside. Unfortunately, the properties of the materials

used for damping elements are very often

the opposite of those that ensure fuselage

and cabin are firmly connected.

MATERIALS THAT CAN BE

RECYCLED ARE KEY TO

MAKING EFFECTIVE USE OF

NATURAL RESOURCES.

Conventional damping elements: “shock mounts”

made of silicone rubber (VMQ) and aluminum.

SUSTAINABLE MATERIAL MANAGEMENT

13

Recyclable damping elements, retaining rings and structural mounts based on polyamide.

THE COMBINATION

OF MATERIALS IS CRUCIAL

The damping elements used in modern aircraft

usually consist of silicone rubber for the damping

properties and inner and outer rings of metal

(often aluminum) for a firm fit so the cabin elements

do not fall on passengers’ heads even in

the unlikely event the rubber fails. Sadly, it is precisely

this combination of materials that cannot

be reused. First, because silicone rubber cannot

be remelted or reshaped once it has been vulcanized.

Second, because the metal components

have to have a bonding agent applied to ensure

good adhesion. The bonding agent and the rubber

residues mean the metal components cannot

be used again as load-bearing structural

components in the aviation industry.

What was needed was a material possessing

both the damping properties of silicone rubber

and, with additional additives, the necessary

strength of metal. With the support of its project

partner Fraunhofer Institute for Environmental,

Safety and Energy Technology UMSICHT, precisely

such polyamide-based materials were found.

There is a thermoplastic elastomer (TPE) based

on polyamide for its damping properties, as well

as a newly developed fiber-reinforced polyamide

10 from the institute, which additionally consists

of up to 60% renewable raw materials and can be

used in robot-guided additive manufacturing.

Both materials can be mechanically separated

from each other and thermally reprocessed into

new products, making it possible to use sustainable

damping elements in the aviation industry.

CONTACT

Marc Dibowski

marc.dibowski@sfs.com

ZAL GMBH

GreenCode helps lower power

usage from inefficient software.

14

GREENCODE VS.

POWER-HUNGRY

SOFTWARE

CONTACT

Dr. Johannes Passand

johannes.passand@zal.aero

Software is an often-overlooked climate

factor: the rising energy consumption of inefficient

applications is increasingly seen as

a contributor to global emissions. Project

GreenCode aims to change this: a framework

designed to help developers make

their code more sustainable.

Software drives many modern devices – from

controlling a simple coffee machine to processing

complex data in industrial applications. The

requirements for software are diverse: security,

performance, scalability and reliability. However,

one aspect often falls by the wayside: energy-efficient

programming. Under pressure of tight

deadlines, energy consumption is often overlooked.

But careless programming can result in

unnecessary loops and memory operations,

overloading the device. Switching to a more efficient

programming language alone can reduce

energy consumption by up to 70 percent.

A TOOL FOR EFFICIENCY CHECKS

With ambitious sustainability goals and the

growing use of energy-hungry AI models, this

issue is now coming into sharper focus. A study

GREENCODE VS. POWER-HUNGRY SOFTWARE

by Salesforces shows that 75 percent of developers

would like to pay more attention to resource

conservation in their work.

Read more about project

GreenCode.

One solution could be the GreenCode research

project, which aims to provide developers with

tools for efficiency checks. The concept: code is

automatically tested for energy and resource

consumption, with an AI model suggesting more

efficient programming alternatives.

tool during development. This will involve automatically

measuring and comparing the electrical

energy consumption, memory usage and

CPU resources of different algorithm variations.

SAVING ENERGY WITH

EXISTING HARDWARE

GreenCode offers great potential for the aviation

industry: it could reduce weight and energy

consumption during operation of an aircraft and

better utilize the performance of existing devices,

such as lighting systems and in-flight entertainment.

Many of these devices are not constantly

in use. Using distributed computing,

these devices could take on additional tasks

during downtime, without the need for extra

hardware.

MAKING ENERGY CONSUMPTION VISIBLE

For developers, estimating how much energy

new software will consume can be difficult.

That’s where GreenCode steps in: the Intelligent

Digital Cabin team at ZAL is developing a test

pipeline to realistically evaluate the efficiency

GREENCODE TAKES FLIGHT

The project, funded by the Federal Ministry of

Education and Research (BMBF), just kicked off in

October 2024 with a strong partnership between

research and industry, led by ZAL GmbH as the

coordinator of the German consortium. Running

until the end of 2027, the international project

also includes partners from Portugal, Denmark,

Spain, the UK, Finland, Romania and Turkey. Given

the global relevance of the project’s theme, it

addresses the need for universally applicable

standards, ensuring that energy-efficient programming

practices can be adopted across different

regions and contexts. GreenCode aims to

improve the state of the art by exploring innovative

approaches, refining existing metrics for

more accurate evaluations, and promoting the

integration of green practices into standard software

development workflows and operations.

15

Source code

Architecture mining

Human-written code

Human-written code

IT landscape

GreenCode optimization

Test pipeline: energy savings, code quality

Result

GreenCode optimizes both new code and

existing software architectures, with a

test pipeline verifying the actual savings.

IDS INDUSTRIAL DESIGN STUDIO

VÆRIDION Microliner cabin

mock up – Berlin Air Show 2024.

Torsten Kanitz, CEO iDS,

Ivor van Dartel, CEO and

Co-founder VÆRIDION, and

Imme Kuhnert, iDS (l.t.r.).

16

CABIN DESIGN

STUDY WITH

VÆRIDION

Find out more about

VÆRIDION – Green

Air Mobility.

VÆRIDION GmbH, a Munich-based company

that is accelerating the green transformation

of aviation with a small electric aircraft

that will be certified and delivered

before 2030, and iDS industrial Design Studio

concluded the first cabin design study

for the VÆRIDION Microliner.

“In collaboration with the iDS team, we elevate

the travel experience to business class standards,

even on short-haul flights. The Microliner’s

cabin features an innovative design that

seamlessly integrates the highest safety standards

with unparalleled comfort, providing generous

legroom and an exceptional electric flying

experience,” says Ivor van Dartel, CEO and

Co-founder of VÆRIDION.

“The collaboration with the intelligent and

far-sighted team at VÆRIDION is extremely efficient

and fruitful. We are united by our particularly

high standards of design quality and innovation

– also in the interior,” answers Torsten

Kanitz – CEO, iDS industrial Design Studio.

CABIN DESIGN STUDY WITH VÆRIDION

Find out more about

the BIOS Future Cabin.

iDS has developed a cabin concept of the

future for FACC AG that aligns the interior

design of the cabin fully with the passenger’s

needs. The BIOS Future Cabin focuses

on the use of sustainable materials, optimal

use of the available space and the

greatest possible accessibility to digital

technologies.

FOCUS ON PASSENGER EXPERIENCE

With 20 percent more freedom of movement

and 50 percent more storage space than in current

generation aircraft, the available space has

been fully utilized. This was made possible by a

topology-optimized design approach that integrates

seamlessly into the load-bearing elements

of the aircraft.

COMPLETELY NEW HANDLING

OF MATERIALS

Ultra-light materials made from renewable raw

materials also drastically reduce the aircraft’s

CO 2

emissions.

For this purpose, a new lightweight material was

developed by FACC as part of many years of research,

which is based on sugar cane and is well

suited for use in aviation due to its properties. The

surface of this new material is not only extremely

robust, but also heat- and chemical- resistant.

COLLABORATION WITH ZAL GMBH

The ZAL GmbH engineering team provided support

in the development of ultra-lightweight

cabin components, such as the ceiling panels.

As experts for topologically optimized components

in terms of weight, among other things,

material calculations were carried out and the

design developed by ZAL GmbH and iDS industrial

Design Studio for FACC AG.

BARRIER-FREE ACCESS

A 100 percent wheelchair-accessible cabin and

a toilet that can be used without barriers also

set new standards for barrier-free flying.

CONTACT

Torsten Kanitz

t.kanitz@ids-hamburg.com

17

BIOS Future Cabin with a focus on passenger experience.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

ZAL.AWARD:

WHEN TEAMWORK

MEETS INNOVATION

18

At ZAL, we shape the future of aviation.

Everyday, researchers, engineers and industry

experts collaborate to turn ideas into

real -world applications. Much of this happens

behind lab doors and often stays unseen.

The ZAL.award is supposed to bring

these achievements into the spotlight and

to honor projects exemplifying collaboration,

innovation and practical impact.

WHAT'S IN IT FOR THE WINNERS?

Beyond presenting its project at the award ceremony,

the winner will receive a trophy and

the distinguished title of “Winner ZAL.award,”

both being a seal of excellence that can be

used for marketing and public relations. To

further showcase the achievement, ZAL GmbH

will produce a professional video about the

winning project, provided free of charge for

use in social media and events. Furthermore,

the winners are prominently featured on the

monitors of the ZAL TechCenter and in the ZAL

magazine FUTURED.

Interested

in taking

part?

The submission period starts on April 1 and

ends on September 30, 2025.

The winner is chosen by an independent jury comprised

of highly acclaimed individuals, brought together from

the ZAL Association network, academia, media and the

aerospace supply chain.

Find out more about the

submission procedure.

ZAL.AWARD: WHEN TEAMWORK MEETS INNOVATION

ZAL ASSOCIATION

The initiator of the ZAL.award

The ZAL.award is presented by the ZAL Association

(ZAL Förderverein), a network of 20+ innovative companies

shaping the future of aviation. The association

supports ZAL’s strategy, uniting member interests

within the shareholder structure and ensuring

they have an equal voice in decision-making alongside

major stakeholders.

More information on

ZAL Association.

Become a member of

ZAL Association.

19

ZAL e. V. board from left to right side: Sebastian Corth,

Thorsten Reimetz, Jörg Manthey and Dr. Martin Spieck.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

ZAL.AWARD

WINNER 2024:

HYDROGEN

AVIATION LAB

20

The A320 Hydrogen Aviation Lab is a pioneering

research project of Lufthansa Technik,

the German Aerospace Center (DLR), ZAL

Center of Applied Aeronautical Research and

Hamburg Airport. It focuses on maintenance

and ground operations of hydrogen use cases

in commercial aviation. On the occasion

of the first ZAL.award, the airport submitted

its research project and ultimately emerged

as the winner in the competition.

Congratulations on winning the first ZAL.

award, Eike. Were you surprised to win?

EIKE You can tell by the look on my face how

surprised I was. We know what a strong project

the Hydrogen Aviation Lab is, but the other entries

were also very impressive. So I was all the

more proud to be able to accept the award on

behalf of all the project partners – Lufthansa

Technik, DLR, ZAL and Hamburg Airport.

What role does HAL play in your plan to

build a hydrogen infrastructure at Hamburg

Airport?

EIKE HAL is an important key project for us. We

are working with partners on various international

projects and, thanks to HAL, we can

share our findings directly with them. This

means that the work benefits not only Hamburg

as an aviation location, but also all partners

committed to an energy transition in aviation.

And something like HAL does not exist

anywhere else in the world – it is truly unique.

What significance does HAL have on an international

level?

EIKE International partnerships are irreplaceable

for the development of a hydrogen infrastructure

at airports.

Jan Eike Blohme-Hardegen, Head of the Environment department,

Hamburg Airport, accepts the award on behalf of the Hydrogen

Aviation Lab research team.

It's actually quite simple: the aircraft that takes

off from us and lands somewhere else also has

to be refueled there in order to be able to fly

back. There are still no generally applicable

ZAL.AWARD WINNER 2024: HYDROGEN AVIATION LAB

ZAL.award

WINNER

CONTACT

Jan Eike Blohme-Hardegen

jhardegen@ham.airport.de

HAL’s winning team. Back row (from left to right): Björn Nagel, Jan-Eike Blohme-Hardegen, Gerrit Rexhausen,

Gerko Wende. Front row: Simon Beckmann, Florian Becker, Sebastian Altmann.

standards for these processes – neither regionally

nor internationally. The work in HAL is

therefore not only relevant for us, but also for

future destination airports: we are currently

helping to develop international standards for

the future of aviation and, with HAL, we are finding

the answers to many questions relating to

the handling of cryogenic liquified hydrogen in

aviation. Overall, many different projects and

research findings are necessary, which ultimately

need to interlock for the goal of implementing

a hydrogen-powered airplane to be achieved.

TULIP project, which is pursuing similar goals

to BSR, but in the Benelux region.

For the future use of liquid hydrogen in commercial

aviation, we are part of the Airbus Hydrogen

Hub at Airports project, which spans

the entire globe.

For example, we are in close contact with

Christchurch Airport in New Zealand. They are

also keeping a close eye on the experience we

are gathering at HAL.

21

Tell us more about that – what is the context

in which the work on HAL is taking

place? What international projects are you

involved in when it comes to hydrogen?

EIKE In the north, Hamburg Aiport is the lead

partner of the Baltic Sea Region HyAirport project.

Here, 16 international and 24 associated

partners are working on laying the foundation

for short-haul flights using gaseous hydrogen.

Connecting remote regions with smaller aircraft

is particularly important in Scandinavia –

so the potential for gaseous hydrogen is huge.

In the Green Corridor project, we are working

on a direct connection between Hamburg and

Rotterdam. The airport there is involved in the

Read more about the Hydrogen

Aviation Lab on pp. 60–63 in the

ZAL FUTURED Magazine 2023.

DIEHL AVIATION

22

Robert (right) is filling

the mold – a key step

in the recycling process

for fiberglass panels.

“HAVE THE COURAGE

FOR NEW IDEAS!”

When an airplane is decommissioned, essential

parts are mostly scrapped. And this

means valuable resources are lost. The innovation

team of Diehl Aviation wants to put an

end to this. At ZAL (Center of Applied Aeronautical

Research) in Hamburg, the team is

collaborating with universities in the Free

Hanseatic City to develop solutions that optimize

the recyclability of future aircrafts. The

most recent example is a solution explored in

a master’s thesis on recycling aircraft panels.

Panels in an aircraft are used as side walls lavatory

walls, and galleys. Their lightweight design

is ideal for aviation. However, the composite materials

used are costly to recycle. Robert Langer,

master’s student at the Hamburg University of

Applied Sciences (HAW), has dedicated his thesis

to reimagining what’s possible.

LESS IS MORE

“Partitions currently consist of about ten different

materials,” Robert explains. These include an

aramid paper honeycomb structure and a reinforcing

resin system on the inside, with pre-preg

fiberglass layers on the outside. And insertion or

attachment points made of laminated fabric,

adhesive, aluminum or plastics are attached at

“HAVE THE COURAGE FOR NEW IDEAS!”

various places to provide more stability at selected

locations. Conventional recycling requires

separating these materials, which is both expensive

and inefficient. “That’s why we’d like to concentrate

on fiberglass, honeycomb and resin,

which can be reused later in the recycling process

as raw materials in the production of new

panels.” Florian Zager-Rode, an innovation expert

at Diehl Aviation and an advisor for the master’s

thesis, adds: “The goal is a complete recycling

process where no material is wasted.”

As part of his work, Robert has developed the

simplest possible recycling process for fiberglass

panels: old fiberglass components are

shredded and formed into new parts using resin

– similar to how pressboard is made from

wood chips. “In doing this, we’re experimenting

with various parameters. How finely should the

starting material be shredded? How high can the

percentage of resin be? And how strongly should

the recycled material be compacted afterwards?”

Through numerous test series, the team

has created 30 different variants.

AN IDEAL PARTNERSHIP

Most of the work takes place at ZAL – either in

Diehl’s own laboratory or the ZAL workshop. Florian:

“The collaboration with the ZAL was a real

plus. To press the test plates, Robert built his

own tool; the ZAL workshop provided the material

for this within two days. The shop foreman

was always available to Robert for support,

which was also extremely valuable.” Additional

support came from HAW, where Robert studies.

The university provided the shredder and the

testing machines for bending and tensile tests,

among other things. “This significantly reduced

costs and efforts of the tests.”

reduction. ”The recycled material could also be

used to create templates for producing other

components.

FAR BEYOND AVIATION

Robert is pleased with his nearly completed research.

“I had a real ‘a-ha moment’ during the

ZAL Science Slam when I presented my project.

Many people told me afterward how important

they felt the topic was, because fiberglass recycling

remains a challenge in many industries.

Florian adds: “Even our structural engineers

were skeptical about whether the recycling

would work as proposed. We have showed them

that it likely will! That’s the best part of pure research:

You can have the courage to just try

things out.” And thanks to his humorous presentation,

Robert even won second place at the

Science Slam.

And this is just the beginning. Diehl Aviation is

already planning another master’s thesis in

which more precise mixture ratios will be tested.

This will provide the foundation for studying

specific use cases and industrial production.

Florian concludes: “Diehl is committed to advancing

recycling – and with great partners like

ZAL, it’s an exciting journey.”

CONTACT

Florian Zager-Rode

florian.zager-rode@diehl.com

23

And the result was encouraging. Robert notes:

“Recycling is possible in principle, but many

questions still need clearing up.” The team is

already thinking about potential applications.

For example, the recycled material in the partitions

can replace the peripheral closure or reinforce

inserts in partition. “This is doubly advantageous,

offering the added benefit of weight

Testing a tensile specimen to see whether it withstands the desired load.

ESPLORO PROJECTS

THE PERFECT PIE:

NATIONAL INTERESTS

AND EUROPEAN

COLLABORATION

However, internal growth alone is insufficient.

Collaboration does not reduce our share of the

pie; it enlarges it by adding more diverse ingredients.

Complex challenges like developing

low-carbon technologies demand cross-national

capabilities and become surmountable through

collaboration.

24

Discussing how to break down large challenges so that they can be

tackled with compact solutions.

Learn more about

esploro here.

In today’s complex global landscape, challenges

like economic instability and geopolitical

tensions shape national priorities. In

response, leaders focus on internal interests,

strengthening their economies and

addressing domestic issues.

Aeronautic research reflects this principle, with

nationally funded projects like Germany’s LuFo

enhancing national expertise, creating jobs and

improving well-being. Such measures are indispensable

in uncertain times. Without a solid basis,

there is no pie to share – or, at best, a pie

without filling, unable to compete globally.

The Clean Aviation project FASTER-H2 illustrates

this. Focused on hydrogen-powered aircraft

technologies, it is jointly led by partners from

Germany and Spain with 31 beneficiaries.

esploro projects supported a balanced proposal

elaboration and continues now as project beneficiary

to ensure dissemination, communication

and exploitation (DCE). This allows partners

maintain clear rights and benefits, enhancing everyone’s

share of the pie.

Sustainability, a global challenge, cannot be

solved by one country alone, especially in aviation.

SMR ACAP work package 3, led by esploro

projects and DLR, unites partners from seven

countries to develop the Clean Aviation Aerospace

Unit Inventory Database and conduct life

cycle assessments. This supports the net-zero

emissions goal for 2050 by integrating environmental

evaluation into design processes. Such

initiatives demonstrate how collaboration drives

innovation and sustainability.

While nations must prioritize their citizens’

well-being – akin to a baker preparing tools –

they must also value cross-border collaboration.

National growth and global sustainability are

complementary, not contradictory.

THE PERFECT PIE: NATIONAL INTERESTS AND EUROPEAN COLLABORATION

CONTACT

Carsten Dörgeloh

carsten.doergeloh@esploro.com

ESPLORO PROJECTS: WHERE NATIONAL

STRENGTH MEETS EUROPEAN UNITY

At esploro, we help balance national interests

with European collaboration, crafting the perfect

pie. We enable partners to focus on their

strengths by providing technical and administrative

guidance. Fully utilizing each partner’s capabilities

and guiding them through complex projects

grows the collaborative pie, while enriching

its filling. Together, we demonstrate that working

across national, cultural and scientific borders

elevates innovation and progress.

The esploro projects team: Ayla Dörgeloh, Carsten Dörgeloh, Maria Wolff,

Ben Newman, Ingrid Pech, Daniel Schmid (clockwise).

Our team embodies this balance and cultural

complexity. Comprising a diverse mix of age, disciplines,

nationalities and genders, we contribute

a wealth of perspectives and strengths.

Guided by our values – down to the point, reliable

and concise – we address challenges from

multiple angles ensuring effective and impactful

solutions.

DISSEMINATION, COMMUNICATION AND

EXPLOITATION IN COLLABORATION

Effective collaboration requires sharing and protecting

results and knowledge. esploro projects’

DCE activities turn technical advancements into

accessible, protected information. For example,

the first UP Wing thematic workshop, hosted by

esploro, united project partners and the broader

scientific community. Experts presented and

discussed across domains and networked, identifying

key research areas and shaping future

projects and demonstration activities.

Through workshops, conferences and digital

campaigns, we showcase the achievements of

projects like FASTER-H2, SMR ACAP, UP Wing

and ODE4HERA, fostering transparency, trust

and future cooperation. By leading dissemination

efforts, we ensure that the pie we bake together

is shared widely. Communication adds

the glaze that makes the pie more appealing

and accessible.

A RECIPE FOR SUCCESS

The key to success lies in blending national focus

with international cooperation. The Clean Aviation

projects demonstrate how collaboration expands

possibilities, addressing global challenges,

driving technological advancements and building

a resilient future for aviation and beyond. Working

together ensures that our collective pie

grows larger and more fulfilling for all.

Watch the videos

to learn more about

the projects.

Stay up-to-date

on projects and

esploro news.

25

Connecting Europe’s

aerospace ecosystem

With offices in Bremen, Hamburg and Toulouse,

esploro connects stakeholders across Europe’s aerospace

hubs. Complementing this, esploro spaces foster

collaboration through tailored co-working spaces

and meeting rooms designed for the aeronautic community

in ECOMAT Bremen.

esploro spaces GmbH co-working space at ECOMAT Bremen.

AKKODIS

26

Akkodis’ Green & Fly zero-emission aircraft concept.

TRANSFORMING

AVIATION FOR A

SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

CONTACT

Nicolas Bonnotte

nicolas.bonnotte@akkodis.com

Aviation is experiencing a robust recovery

from the COVID-19 pandemic, yet this resurgence

brings significant environmental

challenges, as the sector accounted for

over 2 percent of global energy-related CO 2

emissions in 2021. With the number of air

passengers expected to double in the next

two decades, aviation emissions are projected

to rise sharply. To address this issue,

the industry is focusing on various improvements,

including advancements in

aircraft design, manufacturing processes

and air traffic management. Innovations

such as digital twins, AI-driven quality control

and the Internet of Things are transforming

manufacturing, while new propulsion

systems and Sustainable Aviation Fuel

(SAF) are being developed to reduce fuel

consumption and emissions.

In addition to technological advancements,

smarter air traffic operations can aid carbon reduction

through enhanced flight planning and

energy-efficient practices at airports. The aviation

sector is also exploring economic mechanisms

like emissions trading and offsetting

schemes to mitigate its carbon footprint. As the

industry moves forward, integrating hydrogen -

TRANSFORMING AVIATION FOR A SUSTAINABLE FUTURE

powered, hybrid-electric and fully electric aircraft

technologies will play a crucial role, although

current limitations mean these solutions

are primarily viable for short-range flights in the

near future.

GREEN & FLY

As a tech frontrunner in aviation, Akkodis is

committed to the green shift and, in 2021, first

revealed its zero-emission concept for regional

flights, named Green & Fly. This 100 percent

electric hydrogen-powered aircraft showcases a

strong commitment to scaling up renewable

energy and aiding the decarbonization of the

aviation industry through technology and innovation.

Designed with a rhombohedral wing

shape, it can carry up to 30 passengers over a

range of 500 km. Green & Fly serves as a zero-emission

regional transport alternative

aimed at enhancing mobility in mid-sized cities

without large hubs, and its Short Takeoff and

Landing (STOL) capability allows it to operate on

existing aerodrome networks, utilizing underused

infrastructure.

The concept combines the latest technologies

and explores various configurations to optimize

the aerodynamic performance and energy consumption

of the aircraft, as well as its electrification

potential. Green & Fly is a light and small

aircraft (classification CS25) with a futuristic design

and a sophisticated mechanism powered by

hydrogen fuel cells, batteries and supercapacitors

within a well-balanced hybridization strategy.

To minimize energy loss, parts of the powertrain

use superconductive materials in a clever

combination with the deep cold hydrogen.

The cockpit integrates digital applications and AI

to enable single-pilot operations. The aircraft design

features an energy recovery landing gear

with electric extension and retraction, replacing

hydraulic components with electromechanical

systems. Additionally, the wheels are accelerated

to the target speed before touchdown, reducing

particulate matter and eliminating the black

clouds of dust that were once visible from afar.

Since 2022, Green & Fly concept development efforts

have incorporated the use of “digital twin”

technology. By integrating all available data into

a virtual model, Akkodis’ experts can test metrics

such as thermal load digitally and with significantly

less effort. In the meantime, the digital

image has been further developed and provides

valuable parameters for hybridization.

The Green & Fly concept aims to inspire the

aerospace industry and challenge Akkodis’ engineers

to rethink innovative air transport, motivating

tech experts while highlighting the sector

as a key destination for talent amid intensifying

competition for skilled workers. Akkodis seeks to

address these challenges by fostering a culture

of innovation and building digital skills both internally

and externally, with Green & Fly serving

as a crucial building block in shaping the future

of the aerospace industry.

Find out more

about Akkodis.

27

The rhombohedral wing shape, compared to a

classic wing shape, generates less turbulence at

wing extremity allowing a significant reduction in

drag, opening up new possibilities for a highly

efficient propulsion system. The stiffening of its

structures is inspired by biomimicry based on

the growth process of a leaf’s veins to improve

stiffening efficiency, reducing the mass of the

aircraft. To maximize the utilization rate, the

cabin design is flexible allowing the aircraft to be

easily converted from passenger to freighter. The Green & Fly prototype showcased at ILA Berlin 2024.

DLR INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL

THE GO-TO PLACE

FOR MRO RESEARCH

28

Rebecca Rodeck, Head of the Maintenance and Repair Technologies department, Andreas Wilken, Laboratory Manager on the left, and Philipp Czogalla,

Communications Manager, meet up in the new Project Lab.

PHILIPP We’re standing in the middle of the

new Project Lab and I can’t help but notice

you both look pretty happy.

REBECCA It was a lot of work, but I’m very happy

that we had the chance to build up this great

lab infrastructure that will support us in our research.

ANDREAS There’s certainly a sense of achievement

to have accomplished something big, and

of course I’m looking forward to future research.

The Project Lab appears to play a central

role among the new facilities. Can you

break down the structure for us?

ANDREAS Indeed, the Project Lab functions as

the center of our experimental research. It provides

test cells for a variety of projects. The other

laboratories are more specific. The Vision Lab

is aimed toward integrating people into digitalized

processes. The Measurement Lab provides

a quiet environment for complex examinations.

In addition, we have a Workshop that

supports our mock-ups while our hall area gives

us plenty of space for the new MRO Living Lab.

All in all, our institute now has five laboratory areas,

which together constitute the Application

Center MRO.

CONTACT

Dr. Rebecca Rodeck

rebecca.rodeck@dlr.de

Can you briefly explain the idea behind this

research facility?

REBECCA The Application Center MRO is a facility

for the practical research of MRO technologies

and processes. Our main research areas in

THE GO-TO PLACE FOR MRO RESEARCH

the lab are the human-machine-integration, new

maintenance approaches as well as technologies

for MRO and inspection. The Application

Center MRO gives us the opportunity to work on

real, physical components and equipment.

In our digital world – why do we need physical

components to do research?

ANDREAS Physical mock-ups allow us to study

complex systems either in isolation or under simplified

conditions. Research in real environments

would be much more difficult due to strict regulations

or limited availability. Also, digital models

cannot fully replicate the interaction between humans

and devices. That’s why we are planning to

set up an MRO Living Lab in our hall area.

Please explain the MRO Living Lab – that

seems to be due to become one of the Application

Center’s highlights.

REBECCA The MRO Living Lab consists of a small

business jet that, while not being airworthy anymore,

is fully functional. The actual procurement

of the jet is currently underway. It will provide

us with a realistic testing environment. In

addition to that, we will equip the hall area with

technologies such as a 3D tracking system to allow

research of maintenance in a smart hangar

environment.

What makes the Application Center MRO

unique?

ANDREAS The MRO Living Lab by itself is already a

very unique research facility. What makes this

even more special is the unparalleled combination

of the different, aforementioned technologies for

MRO with a living lab. Moreover, it is one of only

very few research infrastructures worldwide that

are dedicated exclusively to MRO research.

What can DLR’s partners expect from the

new facilities?

REBECCA The different lab areas all stand for

themselves, but can be combined whenever

necessary. This provides us with much higher

capacities than before. For us and our partners,

the Application Center MRO provides easy and

fast access to practical MRO research with a

high flexibility regarding the different research

topics and technologies. The MRO Living Lab

helps us to do research on a higher TRL level, as

it enables us to validate and demonstrate technologies

and processes in a relevant environment.

It essentially closes the gap between research

in a laboratory and demonstration in an

operational environment.

Please give us an idea of how the industry

is collaborating with the institute.

REBECCA There are different ways in which the industry

is already collaborating with us. We are

working on joint third party-funded research projects,

for example LuFo and EU projects. We also

have some cooperations where both partners

agree to work together on a common research

topic. Another way to work together is for the industry

partner to task us with a direct order.

What are you looking forward to the most

when it comes to the new Application Center

MRO?

ANDREAS Honestly? We finally have room to

breathe and can do more or less justice to all

the research topics we are aiming for. With our

new laboratories, we have now laid the foundation

for collaboration with partners from science

and industry.

How can folks outside keep up and get in

contact with you?

ANDREAS Just visit us or let’s meet up for coffee

– ZAL offers an excellent environment for

getting together.

Philipp Czogalla, the institute’s Communications

Manager, is looking forward to showcasing more of

the Application Center MRO this year.

Visit the institute’s

LinkedIn channel.

Visit the Application

Center MRO’s website.

29

DLR INSTITUTE OF MAINTENANCE, REPAIR AND OVERHAUL

EVERY LAB

COUNTS

CONTACT

Andreas Wilken

andreas.wilken@dlr.de

In July 2024 the Institute of Maintenance, Repair and

Overhaul moved to new premises inside ZAL. These expand

the possibilities for practical research into aircraft

maintenance. The Application Center MRO now

covers four laboratory areas and a hall area totalling

approx. 660 m². It will be extensively expanded in the

coming months.

MRO LIVING LAB

30

The MRO Living Lab embodies

the “Hangar of the Future.” It

will utilize a functional aircraft

scheduled to arrive later this year to explore cutting-edge

technologies for maintenance and modifications

under real-world conditions. Key innovations will

include robotics, IoT, AR/VR and other digitalization and

automation technologies, driving efficiency and precision.

By focusing on an operational aircraft, our team ensures

testing in a realistic environment, paving the way

for practical solutions in the aviation industry.

Simon Beckmann and Hendrik Meyer.

PROJECT LAB

The Project Lab with its flexible

space and infrastructure is

mainly used for research activities

that are closely related

to hardware. Here, the new MRO demonstrators are

qualified for the next TRL before the technologies are

tested in the MRO Living Lab. This includes, e.g., the operation

of small NDT test benches, essential mechatronic

development work and an Industry 4.0 simulation environment.

Another key element of the Project Lab is our

brand-new fleet of four industrial robots.

Florian Heilemann.

EVERY LAB COUNTS

VISION LAB

Our lab is a space for human-focused

research where

we shape new MRO technologies

with and for users. It enables

us to conduct user studies and workshops that

help us understand the human role in applied MRO processes.

The tracking area for object pose detection provides

the means to develop assistance systems, for example,

with virtual and augmented reality. Localized

eye-tracking glasses and tactile gloves allow us to examine

and design future applications.

Thore Keser and Rahel Schmied-Kowarzik.

MEASUREMENT

LAB

The lab focuses on the development

of non-destructive

testing and structural health

monitoring methods as well as sensor application. It is intended

to be available for preparing and carrying out

measurements that require a quiet environment. Current

research projects deal with the detection, localization and

characterization of structural anomalies, using machine

learning and strain data. Others benefit from thermographic

inspection and vibro-acoustic piezo sensors.

31

Philipp Conen.

WORKSHOP

Our new Workshop enables

us to quickly construct and

modify our experimental setups

used in the Project or

Measurement Lab, enhancing speed and flexibility of our

research. For me, having materials at hand and being

able to execute every necessary step with proper machinery

and in one place is the real benefit of the new

workshop. FDM printers and the integrated and extended

electrical workshop provide additional capabilities to

produce custom hardware for novel MRO applications.

Johannes Halbe.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

32

HAMBURG UPDATES

GREEN AVIATION

ROADMAP

Hamburg is at the forefront of transforming

the aviation industry, aiming to make air

travel climate-neutral by 2050. With its updated

Green Aviation Technology Roadmap,

Hamburg is leading the charge in reducing

aviation emissions and promoting green

technologies. An updated roadmap, a revision

of the original 2020 document, outlines a

comprehensive approach to achieving significant

sustainability milestones in aviation.

aviation, fully aligned with the objectives of

the European Green Deal. The partnership focuses

on identifying key areas of research and

innovation where Hamburg will concentrate

its efforts, ensuring targeted advancements in

sustainable aviation technologies.

The Hamburg-CA JU joint strategic roadmap is

integrated in this update of the Green Aviation

Technology Roadmap.

Find out more

about Clean Aviation.

The foundation for this roadmap update was

laid last year in 2024 with the signing of a

Memorandum of Cooperation (MoC) between

the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg and

the Clean Aviation Joint Undertaking (CA JU), a

private-public partnership and leading EU research

and innovation program for sustainable

and climate-neutral aviation. Through

this agreement, both parties committed to a

joint strategic roadmap for achieving net-zero

KEY AREAS

The updated roadmap is fully aligned with

CA JU’s Strategic Research and Innovation

Agenda (SRIA) that was revised in 2024. Building

on previous research performed, it aims

for a 30 percent reduction in greenhouse gas

emissions from regional-range and short-tomedium

range (SMR) aircraft. It prioritizes

three key technological pillars (also covering

areas going beyond CA JU’s scope):

HAMBURG UPDATES GREEN AVIATION ROADMAP

“A hydrogen ecosystem has huge

potential for industry and also for

aviation. The goal of green aviation

is not a distant dream, but a commonly

envisaged future. The roadmap

sends a clear and supportive signal

towards establishing this.”

Senator Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Minister of Economy and Innovation in Hamburg

• Hybrid-electric regional aircraft, including the

topics of urban air mobility, thermal management,

manufacturing processes and service life.

• Hydrogen-based technologies enabling hydrogen-powered

aircraft, including the topics

of logistics, storage and the development of

a reliable and safe hydrogen infrastructure.

• Transversal areas, including the topics of training

concepts and AI-driven intelligent assistance

systems for production and maintenance.

A major step toward implementation is the development

of a hydrogen energy systems

demonstrator for aircraft. This initiative will

serve as a key pilot project, providing valuable

insights and driving forward technological advancements

within the Hamburg Aviation

community. Another focus will be on the Hydrogen

Aviation Lab, which will enable technical

demonstration of hydrogen technologies in

aircraft and airport infrastructure.

HAMBURG’S STRATEGIC FOCUS

The Hamburg roadmap focuses not only on

driving technological progress, but also on ensuring

that these approaches are practicable

and cost-effective. The goal is to strike a balance

between technological potential, financial

resources and the need for quick, tangible results.

Additionally, the roadmap focuses on

creating sustainable aircraft designs. These include

zero-emission aircraft systems, lightweight

modular cabin designs and optimized

operations that reduce emissions both in flight

and on the ground. The integration of hydrogen

and sustainable aviation fuels (SAFs) in airport

operations will also make airports more

sustainable and reduce their carbon footprint.

CONCLUSION

Hamburg’s Green Aviation Technology Roadmap

is a bold and comprehensive strategy

that positions the city as a leader in the transition

to climate-neutral aviation. Through innovations

in hydrogen-powered aircraft, sustainable

aircraft designs and green airport

operations, the roadmap offers a clear path

towards reducing emissions, advancing clean

technologies and ensuring a sustainable future

for the aviation sector. The implication of

the roadmap also forms the basis for participation

in European funding programs through

a harmonized alignment of local and European

flagship initiatives such as CA JU and setting

an example for other cities and regions to follow

in the quest for greener air travel.

Details on the Strategic

Research and Innovation

Agenda of Clean

Aviation.

CONTACT

Dr. Christoph Heß

christoph.hess@zal.aero

33

DLR INSTITUTE OF ENGINEERING THERMODYNAMICS

34

Jannik Holtorf (left) and Markus Schorr (right) are keen: design and construction of DLR‘s new test rig are almost complete.

Next phase: commissioning.

DLR’S MULTI-STACK

TEST RIG FOR

HYDROGEN AVIATION

CONTACT

Dr. Syed Asif Ansar

syed-asif.ansar@dlr.de

A new fuel cell experimental test rig capable

of operating multi-stack architecture

was developed at the DLR Institute of Engineering

Thermodynamics as part of the

“Scalable Fuel Cell Systems for Electric Propulsion”

(SKAiB) project under the aviation

research program LuFo VI-2 of the Federal

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate

Action (BMWK). Led by Airbus Operations

GmbH, the project aims to scale existing

technologies for low-emission electric propulsion

systems based on fuel cells into

the megawatt range for usage in commercial

aircraft.

In contrast to previous approaches, the focus of

the new test rig is not only on the performance

of individual proton exchange membrane fuel

cell stacks (PEMFC), but also on the interaction

in complex, realistic systems under varying op-

DLR’S MULTI-STACK TEST RIG FOR HYDROGEN AVIATION

“One challenge during the design phase

was to identify the components that can

be shared between both stacks without

sacrificing system performance.”

Dr. Syed Asif Ansar, Head of Department Energy System Integration

erating conditions. An additional distinctive feature

of the demonstrator is the use of two equalsized

PEM stacks, to create a multi-stack fuel cell

system (MFCS). This approach enables the scaling

of system performance beyond available

performance of a single stack and also offers the

potential to improve the redundancy and operation

of the fuel cell system.

Both stacks of the MFCS are partly supplied by

the same balance of plant components. For example,

only a single compressor is planned to

supply the stacks with the necessary air flow for

the reaction in the fuel cells. This system design

makes it possible to increase the power density

of the MFCS by deliberately avoiding the dupli-

cation of components. However, this is linked to

increased system complexity, a challenge that

can be overcome through the use of sophisticated

control strategies.

A major part of the investigations on the MFCS

demonstrator is therefore the development, implementation

and optimization of such control

algorithms in order to ensure efficient and stable

operation. As researchers are able to study

the cross-couplings between components and

controllers as well as the dynamics of the involved

processes, the new test rig enables the

development of innovative solutions to enhance

system performance and reliability in future fuel

cell-based propulsion systems.

Read more about DLR

Institute of Engineering

Thermodynamics,

Department Energy

System Integration.

35

Discussing the placement of the shared balance of plant

components for undistorted measurements.

A view at both PEM fuel cell stacks of the demonstrator.

DLR INSTITUTE OF SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES IN AERONAUTICS

OPENING THE ROOM

FOR A NEW ERA

IN AVIATION

36

CONTACT

Dr. Björn Nagel

bjoern.nagel@dlr.de

Change is in the air and the future of aviation

can literally take many shapes. Aircraft

needed to meet two main requirements:

performance and profitability. All

the different stakeholders’ needs made it

clear that a new era is taking off. Aircraft

should be profitable for the industry, yet

become sustainable across its entire lifecycle

at three different levels – aircraft, fleet

and air transport system. With a rising demand

for flights worldwide, affordability

for the individuals is key. Challenging

enough? Maybe, but the clock is ticking …

CHALLENGES & OPPORTUNITIES

“In the next few years, the industry must take

major decisions on how to move forward. That’s

a stretch, but doable,” says Björn Nagel, Director

of DLR’s Institute of System Architectures. “There

are still many unknowns and the devil is in the

details, but we’ve got quite a few ideas,” he adds

with a twinkle in his eye.

NO SILVER BULLET – BUT PLENTY OF IDEAS

“DLR researchers agree that there’s no silver

bullet. Instead, they explore various technological

options. With 54 institutes, we can explore

future aviation in breadth and depth – from energy

production paths to aircraft architectures,

operational scenarios and more ... Our institute

specializes in digital methods, cabin and industrialization,

and new aircraft architectures.” This

is why this institute is leading two of DLR’s flagship

projects, EXACT and ALICIA, which are

closely linked.

EXACT & ALICIA:

THE BIG PICTURE, IN DETAIL

“EXACT is the largest study on sustainable aviation

to date, exploring the most promising future

aircraft in terms of economic viability and

environmental friendliness. In ALICIA, scientists

integrate these results in a digital simulation

framework, supporting politics and industry in

making informed decisions by forecasting the

impact of technologies or policies.”

GLOBAL COLLABORATION

FOR SUSTAINABLE AVIATION

“Both aviation and global warming are … global,”

says Nagel. “That means we’re in it together. As

a major research institution, our role is to bridge

academia and industry. We really want to join

forces with them and the other players such as

SMEs, start-ups and think tanks, too. That’s why

we actively seek dialogue, like through our annual

symposium ‘Architecting Future Aviation.’”

A DIGITAL HANGAR: OPEN DATA FOR ALL

“And we are thrilled that our institute is literally

opening up another room for discussion and further

research – or rather a hangar,” he adds. “In

our digital hangar, we show the world what revolutionary

aircraft like the ones from EXACT could

look like – with detailed technical data. We also

want experts to be able to get an idea of how

their technologies or components could be integrated

and what they think of our approaches, so

that we can all progress as quickly as possible.”

While the hangar currently features only a few

aircraft configurations, DLR’s research doesn’t.

“We plan to update the hangar regularly and include

unusual-looking aircraft or technologies

we’ve explored but don’t currently consider the

best options.”

OPENING THE ROOM FOR A NEW ERA IN AVIATION

Two of Nagel’s colleagues discussing EXACT hydrogen aircraft concept in CPACS format.

37

CPACS: THE LANGUAGE OF AVIATION

That would be reason enough to celebrate, says

Nagel. Another reason is his “baby” CPACS (Common

Parametric Aircraft Configuration Schema),

which turned 20 in the year 2025. It can be considered

a standardization language that is spoken

and understood by all the different disciplines

(and engineers!) in aviation, regardless of

their background (aerodynamics, structures,

propulsion).

being in Hamburg,” Nagel explains, “it’s the

world’s third largest civil aviation hub: we are

shoulder to shoulder with key European aviation

players, from research to manufacturers, airports,

operators and maintenance companies.

It’s a great place to create tomorrow’s aviation

today and help re-industrialize Europe”.

Take off to

future aircraft!

“I was involved in it and still have the paper

script from that time, long before my institute

was founded,” he says with pride. “It’s key to our

successful digital integration and optimization

of all requirements, technologies and specialized

tools – and helps keep the human in the

loop. Getting everyone to want to be part of the

big game was one of the toughest challenges.

But we got good at that, too.”

HAMBURG: A HOTSPOT

FOR THE FUTURE OF AVIATION

“We use CPACS not only in our own research

projects, but also in joint projects with industry

and academia. And that’s the great thing about

Digital hangar: DLR publishes future aircraft concepts

with complete data for open use.

DLR INSTITUTE OF SYSTEM ARCHITECTURES IN AERONAUTICS

Meeting between Pina

Donelli (DLR) and Cahide

Özkan (Airbus).

38

FAST, FLEXIBLE AND

FUTURE-ORIENTED:

THINK AHEAD, SUPPLY

CHAIN IN MIND

CONTACT

Luca Boggero

luca.boggero@dlr.de

It seems like a mission impossible: future

aircraft must be environmentally sustainable,

affordable to fly, profitable and thus

market competitive all at once. If aircraft is

to meet these demands, novel technologies,

speed, flexibility and security (against

external threats) are crucial. Aircraft largely

consist of components and parts (systems)

bought off specialized suppliers

around the world after the completion of

the aircraft design.

MAKE-OR-BUY

This approach can however lead to unforeseen

production issues, the inability to adapt to possible

market changes, an increase in costs (so

less affordable and profitable) or a less valued

end product (quality decrease). This is why aircraft

manufacturers (OEMs) need to take the

right “make-or-buy” decisions and value vs. cost

trade-offs. Which parts can – or should be – built

in-house, which components or parts should be

bought off (which) suppliers with a specialization

in this field only? But to predict which trade-offs

and decisions will have been the right ones in

hindsight seems impossible.

THREE AT ONCE: SUPPLY CHAIN,

MANUFACTURING AND AIRCRAFT DESIGN

Or maybe not. What if we managed to anticipate

and include already at the beginning those decisions

that are usually taken during the produc-

FAST, FLEXIBLE, AND FUTURE-ORIENTED: THINK AHEAD, SUPPLY CHAIN IN MIND

tion phase? Or put differently: why not find a

concurrent approach for product (aircraft) design,

supply chain and manufacturing, like it is

already being done in the car and space industry?

The DLR Institute of System Architectures in

Aeronautics is exploring this in several research

projects, while collaborating with aircraft manufacturers

such as Embraer and Airbus as well as

with suppliers like GKN/Fokker.

DIGITAL ENGINEERING IS KEY:

MEET KING VALUE, THE INTEGRATOR

To make this work and create the aircraft that

best meets all the needs, a clear and well formalized

methodology is needed. For simultaneously

optimizing highly complex aircraft, manufacturing

processes and supply chains, digital

engineering is the way to go. It is essential even,

if the aircraft design, manufacturing and supply

chain should be modeled and integrated into

one “big system” concurrently. But of course, as

it is always the case when different players are

involved, there are different views, needs and

perceptions to “problems.” This is why everyone

has to decide which criteria they value higher

than others with a sort of credit system of sorts.

This is the basis of the value-driven methodology

that the DLR institute developed: criteria can

be traded, architectural alternatives can be

ranked according to their value, supporting decision-makers

in taking design and production

choices. Consequently, obstacles or threats

down the supply chains, predictions of at what

point costs or quality could increase or decrease

and for which reasons, etc., can all be integrated

into one automated digital framework.

In the end, this digital engineering approach enhances

collaboration, aerospace companies

(OEMs and suppliers) can take decisions that

consider production constraints and supply

chain factors already in the early design phases.

In this way, more competitive, sustainable and

leading-edge aircraft can be developed.

UP NEXT: INCREASED TECHNOLOGY READI-

NESS AND LARGE-SCALE IMPLEMENTATION

The next step DLR is taking is to develop these

methodologies further to higher Technology

Readiness Levels (TRL) like in DIMENSION and

applying them on a larger scale. These efforts

will refine concurrent design practices and aim

to formalize them for broader industry application,

considering even more aspects like certification

and maintenance.

Research projects

on value-driven

concurrent approach

AGILE 4.0 (EU Horizon 2020)

Implementation of an integrated cyber-physical aeronautical

supply chain, including design, production, certification and

maintenance, leading to innovative and more sustainable

aircraft products. Initial development of the value-driven

model-based methodology.

Scope: Identification of the best solutions

for the horizontal tailplane of an aircraft

considering the design, manufacturing and

supply chain.

Industrial partners: Embraer, GKN/Fokker

Learn more

about AGILE 4.0.

39

Discussion about the design and supply chain of the

aircraft door.

DIMENSION (LuFo Germany)

Development of new door architectures for passenger aircraft,

with them being one of the most complex aircraft components.

Mastering its design and corresponding production process simultaneously

promises to be very beneficial for future aircraft

programs.

Scope: Exploitation of methodology extended to safety, maintenance

and risk assessment: identification of the best solutions

for door components (hinge arm and latching system).

Industrial partner: Airbus

JETLITE

Measuring daylight exposure on

board of an Airbus A33.

40

A SCIENCE- DRIVEN

VISION

Find out more

about Chronolite.

CONTACT

Dr. Achim Leder

pr@jetlite.com

Find out more

about FAIRcraft.

At jetlite, we know that lighting is more

than just illumination – it’s the key regulator

of the inner clock, supporting well-being

and performance. Many people already

know jetlite for its cabin lighting solutions

designed to reduce jet lag. However, continuous

research and validation drive its innovations.

FROM SCIENCE TO APPLICATION

Think about the night shift mode on a phone. A

simple change in screen lighting can help improve

sleep by reducing blue light exposure.

Now imagine scaling that concept to an entire

aircraft, where lighting adapts to flight routes,

time zones, cabin interiors, workflows and even

individual chronotypes. That’s exactly what jetlite

does – scientifically measuring, analyzing

and optimizing lighting to support the body’s

natural rhythm, helping passengers adjust faster

and allowing crew members to stay alert and

recover better. Light is the most powerful external

factor that supports the inner clock. By adjusting

color temperature, intensity and timing,

jetlite actively helps the body adapt to new time

zones, reducing jet lag by up to three hours. But

the approach doesn’t stop there.

RESEARCH AS THE DRIVING FORCE

Innovation in aviation requires science-based

solutions. jetlite’s technology is built on onground

and in-flight studies with Lufthansa,

proving that jetlite’s lighting scenarios improve

sleep, support melatonin regulation, and enhance

well-being. But science never stands

still – jetlite continues to optimize its solutions.

In 2024, four test flights to North and South

America were conducted with customers to test

and refine cabin lighting for passenger and crew

needs.

In addition, jetlite leads the consortium of the

BMDV-funded Chronolite project. Together with

Hella, Charité, TU Ilmenau, Lufthansa Technik

and other partners, the project develops connected

lighting solutions for aircraft, trains, cars

A SCIENCE-DRIVEN VISION

69%*

melatonin reduction

was achieved right on time

to ensure activation

88%*

of passengers who usually

don’t find sleep on a plane

were able to sleep

80%*

of business class passengers

rated the flight with jetlite a

superior flying experience

* Scientific studies conducted with renowned research institutes show the positive effects of jetlite Cabin One.

and terminals to create a seamless lighting experience

along the passenger journey. Sustainability

also plays a key role – FAIRcraft, funded by

IFB Hamburg, explores new ways to make aircraft

interiors more eco-friendly through innovative

materials and cabin concepts. jetlite supported

Comprisetec and BFGF in exploring how

lighting solutions can contribute to a more sustainable

cabin design. Using ZAL TechCenter’s

labs and key partnerships with Lufthansa Technik,

SFS and TuHH, for example, jetlite continues

advancing cabin lighting – further innovating its

solutions in 2025 and beyond. Check out the

project links for more details!

jetlite aircraft mock-up in the ZAL hangar.

41

Step into the light – literally!

We believe in making artificial light better – with science-based research

and results – but let’s be honest: nothing beats natural daylight.

Sunlight is nature’s best energy booster, mood lifter and sleep

regulator. So, while we keep pushing the boundaries of cabin lighting

technology, here’s our friendly reminder: go outside! Even if the

sun isn’t shining and the sky is in its usual grayish Hamburg shade,

daylight still does its job. Take a 15-minute walk, soak up whatever

light you can, and let nature reset your inner clock. Your energy levels,

mood and sleep will thank you for it.

Measuring lighting in TUHH laboratory.

FFT

ATON automated adhesive film application and component integration.

42

AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION –

INTELLIGENT AUTO-

MATION AT EVERY PHASE

Fuselage sections of future aircraft are

versatile regarding aspects like building

principles, materials or system integration.

However, their production will be highly

automated to meet upcoming manufacturing

demands regarding time, cost, quality

and flexibility.

As part of a variety of research projects in the

frame of LuFo, supported by the German Federal

Ministry for Economic Affairs and Climate Action,

FFT together with its partners is developing production

systems for both metal and CFRP fuselage

sections that range from handling of stringers

over precise position of large components

such as doppler sheets or window frames up to

innovative joining of full-scale fuselage sections.

Thereby, in the context of an industrial utilization,

the technologies can be integrated either

into existing (brownfield) or entirely new production

lines (greenfield). The projects can benefit

from FFT’s diverse product portfolio related to

tolerance measurement and optimization (Best-

Fit, VisionView), lightweight grippers and structures

(FibreTec3D, CarbonGripper), component

transport (iGV) or digital process monitoring (FF-

Trace) as well as from FFT’s experience of more

than 50 years in the design and development of

intelligent production systems.

AIRCRAFT PRODUCTION – INTELLIGENT AUTOMATION AT EVERY PHASE

FLEXIBLE STRINGER PREFORM

HANDLING

In the DHiiP project FFT moved flexible CFRP

preforms and tool cores into a consolidation

tool for producing stringers using an RTM process.

The pick-up and handling of multi-part metallic

cores and textile preforms led to specific

requirements for the process automation, which

could be met by a combination of vacuum,

clamping and magnetic grippers. The deformability

of the flexible semi-finished products created

handling challenges in terms of placement

accuracy, which could also be overcome by the

gripper mechanism. In addition, a digital product

twin was developed and integrated into the

system control to provide data from upstream

and to downstream processes.

AUTOMATED COMPONENT INTEGRATION

A new construction method for aluminum fuselage

segments was investigated within the project

ATON, which focused on automated deposition

of adhesive-bonded doublers, window

frames and stringers. First, the adhesive film was

applied to the components. Following that, they

were automatically placed on the fuselage skin.

The adhesive application was implemented by

the project partner Fraunhofer whereas FFT was

responsible for the overall plant engineering,

technology integration and system control including

simulation and functional testing.

SECTION ASSEMBLY AND

SYSTEM INSTALLATION

A system for section assembly including system

installation was developed in the SeMoSys project.

The focus here was on a reduced assembly

time and a higher degree of automation by shifting

preparation activities outside the station and

automating the transport using FFT’s iGV, while

avoiding overhead crane operations. FFT was responsible

for the entire concept, design and realization

of the system. Presentation frames

built from FFT’s lightweight FibreTec3D profiles,

laser tracker shimmed contour blocks and a

load optimized steel frame resulted in a high positioning

accuracy. Arbitrary positioning of the

longitudinal joints allows ergonomic working

and optimal robot usage whereas replacing contour

blocks enables easy adaptation to different

shell geometries.

The tolerance concept was jointly developed

with Fraunhofer IFAM, which performed all measurements.

The partners Fraunhofer and PFW

Hutchison set up system installations like pipe

moduls. Thinking out of the box resulted in an

innovative assembly station, which enables novel

assembly processes and technologies with

parallel system installation.

More information

on FFT’s R&D

and Technologies.

CONTACT

Philipp Schwanemann

philipp.schwanemann@fft.de

43

Two cooperating industrial robots were used for

the automated, tolerance-compliant stringer

handling in a full-scale demonstration near an

industrial environment. By integrating FFT’s optical

measuring system BestFit into FFT’s Carbon-

Gripper, it was possible to implement active tolerance

compensation and meet the challenging

process requirements. A third robot on a linear

axis took care of the handling of the doublers

and window frame.

In the follow-up project GREATER the technologies

are currently further developed for spherical

components and analyzed by the project

partner Airbus Aerostructure within their R&D

facilities, since they enable significant mass reductions

and a high degree of automation.

SeMoSys assembly station.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

2025 IN CHARTS:

AVIATION’S

MAKE-OR-BREAK YEAR

FOR INNOVATION

44

Air travel is one of humanity’s greatest

technological achievements, connecting

people, cultures and economies across the

globe. Over the past 50 years, the democratization

of air travel has fueled exploration

and global exchange like never before.

NO DECARBONIZATION

PATH FOR AVIATION

Projected global CO 2 emissions (in Mt CO 2 )

In Announced Pledges Scenario (APS)

But this success comes at a cost. Aviation is at

a crossroads. Why? Aviation’s social license to

operate in the future is under growing pressure

as its carbon footprint expands. While

other transport sectors are making progress

to reduce emissions, aviation’s CO 2 output is

set to rise sharply.

AVIATION +47% SHIPPING +1%

1,200

RAIL –10%

1,200

0

120

0

ROAD 0%

7,500

Guest article by Lennart Dobravsky, founder

of Research+Attitude, a market intelligence

and thought leadership agency, and creator of

OneChart, a newsletter curating the most

insightful data charts in aviation and travel.

0 0

2022 2030 2022

2030

Source: Research+Attitude analysis, Sustainable Aero Lab, IEA.

2025 IN CHARTS: AVIATION’S MAKE-OR-BREAK YEAR FOR INNOVATION

EFFICIENCY GAINS CAN’T OUTRUN DEMAND

In talks with decision-makers in aviation, it’s

often argued that the chart on the left is misleading

because individual flights are becoming

more efficient, pointing to improved CO 2

per passenger mile. While efficiency gains are

real, they are nowhere near enough.

In simple terms: the industry isn’t decarbonizing

– it’s expanding its footprint. Without radical

innovation at an unprecedented pace, sustainability

progress, let alone net-zero ambitions,

remains entirely out of reach.

The uncomfortable reality: efficiency gains aren’t

keeping up with surging demand. More

people are flying than ever before, pushing total

emissions to new heights. A case in point:

2024 set a new record for the highest total CO 2

emissions in airline history.

For more insightful data charts on the future of

aviation and travel, subscribe to the OneChart

newsletter at onechart.co or scan the QR code.

EFFICIENCY GAINS ARE NOT ENOUGH

45

CO 2 per seat per mile (g)

Total airlines’ CO 2 emissions (Mt CO 2 )

153

151

149

1100

1000

900

800

700

147

145

600

500

400

143

141

139

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022

300

200

100

0

2000 2004 2008 2012 2016 2020 2024

Source: Research+Attitude analysis, Sustainable Aero Lab, IBA Net Zero, IEA.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

For years, aviation leaders have defended the

industry’s environmental impact with a single,

seemingly modest statistic: aviation is responsible

for only two to three percent of global emissions.

The argument goes something like this:

AVIATION’S OUTLOOK

WITHOUT INNOVATION

Aviation’s share of global CO 2 emissions given current trajectory

WHY TARGET AN INDUSTRY THAT

CONTRIBUTES SUCH A MARGINAL SLICE

OF THE ENVIRONMENTAL PROBLEM?

But that narrative is about to shift – dramatically.

• According to Boeing’s aviation emissions

models and the IEA’s APS scenario forecasts,

aviation’s CO 2 emissions will double to five

percent of the world’s total in less than seven

years.

2.5%

5%

24%

46

• If this trajectory holds, by 2050, aviation

alone will account for a staggering quarter

of all global CO 2 emissions.

The repercussions of such an escalation are

immense – and largely unpredictable.

2025

2030

(APS)

2050

(APS)

One thing, however, is certain: mounting pressure

and public scrutiny will challenge aviation’s

very essence.

Source: Research+Attitude analysis, Sustainable Aero Lab, Boeing Cascade, IEA.

This hard reality leads us to a critical question:

What can the aviation industry do to reverse

its CO 2 trajectory?

As a society, we’ll be forced

to ask: is the connectivity

and convenience offered by

aviation worth the looming

environmental calamity?

THE ONLY WAY FORWARD:

RADICAL INNOVATION

The answer can only be one thing: doubling

down on innovation.

This isn’t about marketing campaigns around

CO 2 offsetting or swapping cabin plastic cutlery

for bamboo. It’s about committing real

dollars to accelerate R&D, build new aircraft

designs, explore alternative propulsion systems,

expand SAF supply and adoption, and

maximize digitalization and connectivity to optimize

fuel savings – all at the same time!

Aviation must shape its future with unprecedented

willpower and force – or risk having

that future shaped by not doing so.

2025 IN CHARTS: AVIATION’S MAKE-OR-BREAK YEAR FOR INNOVATION

WORDS SPEAK LOUDER THAN ACTIONS

TALK

# of publicly announced net-zero commitments

by major airlines

ACTION

# of actual sustainability projects launched

by major airlines

40

35

70

60

30

25

20

15

10

5

0

+ 65%

50

40

30

20

10

0

–77%

2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023 2018 2019 2020 2021 2022 2023

47

Source: Research+Attitude analysis, Sustainable Aero Lab, Nat Bullard, BloombergNEF, ICAO.

THE GOOD NEWS:

2025 IS SHAPING UP TO BE DIFFERENT

According to Amadeus’ latest survey of senior

airline leaders, innovation and sustainability

have become the top two strategic priorities

for full-service carriers – outranking even financial

objectives. This does signal a major

shift: the industry may finally be recognizing its

once in-a-generation imperative to innovate.

2025 will show whether the aviation industry

will turn priorities into action – or if, once

again, words will outpace execution.

INNOVATION &

SUSTAINABILITY AS KEY

PRIORITIES FOR 2025

Most mentioned airline objectives for investments this year

Full-service

airlines

Innovation

Sustainability

0% 100%

Margin

improvement

Revenue increase

CONTACT

Lennart Dobravsky

lennart@onechart.co

Improved traveler

experience

Source: Amadeus Travel Technology Investment Trends.

ZAL GMBH

BUILT

TO LAST,

EASY TO

RECYCLE

minimizing manual labor. Thanks to semi-automation,

the production process becomes faster

and more cost-effective. And there’s more: the

printing material is over 50 percent biobased,

further lowering the environmental impact. Key

applications could include more customized

cabin designs with smaller production runs.

48

Watch the

manufacturing

process now.

Overhead Storage Compartments (OHSCs)

face tough demands in passenger service.

Travelers often forcefully shove their heavy

carry-on luggage into the compartment,

slamming the door shut with a swift push.

To withstand these and other challenges like

turbulences, OHSCs need to be stable, durable,

and securely anchored to the cabin wall. This is

achieved through a combination of honeycomb

panels, reinforcements, adhesives and brackets.

However, at the end of the cabin’s lifecycle, this

complex mix of materials makes disposal much

more difficult. But what if cabin components

could not only be light and strong, but also easy

to recycle?

THREE MANUFACTURING STEPS, ONE

SUSTAINABLE SOLUTION

RAFINESS goes beyond simple optimizations: it

addresses the entire lifecycle of a cabin component

– from production to end-of-life. This approach

could lay the foundation for a new generation

of aircraft cabins, where sustainability

and efficiency go hand in hand. And the best

part? It only takes three straightforward steps to

make this vision a reality.

RAFINESS –

Only Three

Manufacturing Steps

PRINTED BRACKETS AND REINFORCEMENTS

The RAFINESS project (Robot-guided additive

manufacturing of integrated, sustainable and

electrically conductive interfaces for cabin sandwich

structures*) takes a fresh look at overhead

bins, simplifying every step from manufacturing

to disposal. This is made possible by robotguided

additive manufacturing, where reinforcements

and brackets are printed directly in a single

step. This innovation reduces the number of

materials used – from seven to just two – while

1. Preparation of honeycomb panels by

an automated milling robot.

2. Application of potting and brackets

in one step.

3. Post-processing the brackets by

a milling robot.

Result: final RAFINESS demonstrator in

the ZAL Additive Manufacturing Lab.

CONTACT

Preety Bhargava

preety.bhargava@zal.aero

*The RAFINESS project is funded by the German Federal Ministry of Digital Affairs and Climate Action (BMWK) and the Austrian

Research Promotion Agency (FFG). Technology partners: WEBER Additive, Aibuild. Project partners: carboncleanup, FACC, Fraunhofer

UMSICHT, Fraunhofer IFAM, SFS, TCKT, Wood K Plus.

BUILT TO LAST, EASY TO RECYCLE

1.

STEP

2.

STEP

3.

STEP

RESULT

Stable connections made from a

single material – showcased at

the RAFINESS demonstrator.

49

AIRBUS

50

MFFD rollout on July 3, 2024, at ZAL Hamburg.

THE WORLD’S FIRST

THERMOPLASTIC

FUSELAGE AT ZAL

CONTACT

Ralf Herrmann

ralf.herrmann@airbus.com

On March 7, 2024, the MultiFunctional Fuselage

Demonstrator (MFFD) arrived at ZAL

and took its place in Hangar A. Within the

framework of the European CleanSky 2 research

program a partner consortium delivered

the first thermoplastic passenger aircraft

fuselage section worldwide. While the

MFFD platform itself won’t fly, its innovations

will shape future aircraft with lighter

weight and reduced production time, working

toward Airbus achieving its decarbonization

goals.

This flagship demonstrator represents a full

scale typical single aisle commercial aircraft fuselage

section made out of thermoplastic composite

materials, covering novel design and built

concepts, elementary parts manufacture for au-

THE WORLD’S FIRST THERMOPLASTIC FUSELAGE AT ZAL

Key benefits

• Less CO 2

emissions through weight reduction

• Dustless joining through thermoplastic welding

• Auxiliary material reduction through in-situ

• Process time reduction through automation

• Pre-equipped large-scale modules

Read more about

fantastic thermoplastics.

tomation as well as thermoplastic welding for

sub- and major component assembly. The consortium

of 12 European organizations led by Airbus

investigated thermoplastic composites for

large passenger aircraft fuselage applications.

More than 40 different technologies have been

developed, real size parts manufactured and assembled

considering high-rate production.

Technologies have specifically been set up in a

competitive environment to maximize learning

and push existing boundaries. This 8 m long and

4 m in diameter fuselage barrel is the world’s

first and largest R&T platform made out of thermoplastic

composite materials.

Solemnly “rolled out” on July 3, 2024, the MFFD

will serve as a vehicle for future R&T projects. It

was launched immediately after its arrival to validate

and verify the engineering and manufacturing

concepts that lie behind the progressive

approach of this flagship demonstrator. These

include modular design and built concepts,

thermoplastic elementary parts manufacturing

on various scales from small-sized clips, medium-sized

stringers and frames of up to 8 m long

fuselage skins, skin manufacture with Automated

Fibre Placement (AFP) and both autoclave

consolidation (lower shell) and out-of-autoclave

in-situ consolidation (upper shell), novel integration

processes using different thermoplastic

welding technologies on a large scale, preequipped

floor module incl. systems and a CFRP

cargo door with an innovative electro-mechanical

latch-and-lock system. More information on

the longitudinal welding of upper and lower fuselage

in the major component assembly can be

found in the article from Fraunhofer- Gesellschaft

(see page 52–53).

The MFFD consortium, led by Airbus, is very

proud that the potential of thermoplastic composites

in aerospace and thus the importance

and value of the project has been recognized by

winning the prestigious JEC Innovation Award

on January 13, 2025, in Paris for advancements

in thermoplastic composites for large-scale

commercial aircraft production. The JEC Innovation

Awards are highly competitive, with over

170 applications, and the MFFD project triumphed

in the Aerospace – Parts category.

ZAL – home of the MFFD flagship and several

partner organizations – is part of this global success

story.

Partners:

Airbus, Aernnova,

Diehl, DLR, FIDAMC,

Fraunhofer, GKN

Fokker Aerospace, NLR,

SAM XL, TU Delft, Saab.

MFFD team representatives from left to right: Juan Carlos Southwood

(FIDAMC), Ralf Herrmann (Airbus), Simon Kothe (Fraunhofer), Benjamin

Diehl (Fraunhofer), York C. Roth (Airbus), Norbert Heltsch (Airbus), Joost

Koopman (GKN Fokker Aerospace), Piet Woelcken (Airbus), Lars Larsen

(DLR) and Matthias Uellendahl (Airbus Aerostructures).

51

FRAUNHOFER IFAM

MAJOR COMPONENT

ASSEMBLY OF MFFD

52

Explore

Fraunhofer IFAM.

There is an urgent need for climate-friendly

solutions for both the production and operation

of passenger aircraft that help to

save even more resources. In addition to

new propulsion technologies, the focus is

also on structural weight and manufacturing

costs. Both can be reduced through new

construction methods, such as can be

achieved with thermoplastic CFRP materials

in particular. For the first time, a fullsize

fuselage segment was therefore

produced from thermoplastic CFRP materials

– the Multi Functional Fuselage Demonstrator

(MFFD), honored with the JEC Composites

Innovation Award 2025.

BUT WHAT DID THE AUTOMATED PROCESS

OF THE MAJOR COMPONENT ASSEMBLY

LOOK LIKE?

With its partners, Fraunhofer IFAM designed and

built the automated assembly research platform

for the MFFD, including the central system and

process control, at the CFK Nord research center

in Stade as part of the Multifunctional automation

system for Fuselage Assembly Line (MultiFAL)

project.

As work package leader, Fraunhofer IFAM was

responsible for the overall coordination of the

technology integration from the involved partners

and the design of the automation to ensure

the major component assembly process of

the MFFD.

Further tasks performed by Fraunhofer IFAM

along the process chain initially included the

picking up of the lower shell using a specially developed

fixture, which allowed the lower shell to

be aligned with high precision in the assembly

space for the subsequent processes. The upper

shell was picked up by a holding fixture consisting

of ten hexapod robots which positioned the

two shells in relation to each other with sub-millimeter

precision. In addition, the optimum

shape and position of the shells was set up with

a developed control loop using a laser sensor

and readjusted by the hexapod robots at any

time, if necessary.

The MultiFAL assembly research platform with inserted thermoplastic fuselage

shells of the MFFD at the Fraunhofer IFAM in Stade. The yellow hexapod robots are

used for holding and high-precision adjustment of the shape and position of the

upper shell.

KEY TECHNOLOGIES FOR BUTT STRAP

JOINING WITH A CONTINUOUS LASER

WELDING PROCESS

For the longitudinal joint on the left side of the

MFFD, the overall coordinator Airbus decided to

use a continuous laser welding process, and a

MAJOR COMPONENT ASSEMBLY OF MFFD

The MFFD aircraft fuselage segment after final assembly at the MultiFAL

research platform at the Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft in Stade.

The gap-filling end effector carries out the thermoplastic gap filling using

an extruder after CO 2

laser welding of the butt straps onto the fuselage

shells.

53

special kind of joint geometry was designed to

this end. In addition to positioning the shells

and compensating local deformations in the

part edges, Fraunhofer IFAM investigated further

topics necessary to enable the automated

joining process.

On the one hand it regards the handling of the

required straps that are laid up and welded into

the joint. The one-millimeter thin straps are

made of the same thermoplastic material as the

shells and have varying dimensions in width and

length. The longest strap has a length of 4.5 meters

and a changing width between 6 and 36 centimeters.

For a reliable layup process, Fraunhofer

IFAM developed a special strap handling

end effector to provide the material automatically

for the laser welding process and react to the

varying dimensions of the long, flexible parts.

On the other hand, the straps and the stepped

joining zones of the shells could not be connected

seamlessly due to unavoidable manufacturing

tolerances and the degrees of freedom required

for positioning the straps. This resulted

in small, irregularly wide gaps remaining between

them, which ran the risk of impairing the

quality of the welded joints and therefore had to

be completely filled with a so-called thermoplastic

filler after every layer. A compact gap filling

end effector contains an integrated 2D sensor

for the immediately measuring and dynamic calculation

of the local gap volume as well as an

extruder. This was guided along the previously

created joining seams to heat the initial granulate

and convey it to the gap. This meant that the

irregular gaps of three to 20 millimeters in width

were filled with the exact amount of molten

thermoplastic material. To guarantee a consistent

quality in terms of flatness for the next layers,

any excess material had to be avoided under

all circumstances.

With these technologies, Fraunhofer IFAM has

helped to ensure that the laser welding process

and thus the joining of the two shells are successfully

carried out on the MFFD.

CONTACT

Björn Reichel

bjoern.reichel@ifam.fraunhofer.de

Further information

about the

Fraunhofer IFAM

in Stade.

FRAUNHOFER IFAM

SeMoSys ring station for sectional

assembly of an aircraft fuselage with

integrated system installation at

Fraunhofer IFAM site in Stade.

54

OPTIMIZED AIRCRAFT

FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY

Watch the video

about SeMoSys.

The SeMoSys research project is redefining

section assembly in aircraft manufacturing

by accelerating process speeds and integrating

systems earlier in the sequence. A

key highlight of this initiative is the enhancement

of ergonomics through the strategic

use of automation, which boosts efficiency

and improves working conditions.

has become essential. The challenge lies in harmonizing

high production rates with stringent

quality standards. By integrating system installations

– such as supply modules with pipes and

ducts – early in the assembly process, the project

is not only streamlining operations but also

accelerating the time to market for new aircraft

models.

ELEVATING EFFICIENCY: THE FUTURE OF

AIRCRAFT ASSEMBLY

In the dynamic realm of aerospace, the research

project “Sektionsmontage mit Systeminstallationen”

(SeMoSys) led by Airbus is making waves

by redefining the sectional assembly of aircraft

fuselages sections. With the industry’s increasing

demands, optimizing production processes

THE RING CONCEPT: A BREAKTHROUGH IN

ASSEMBLY OF FUSELAGE SECTIONS

At the heart of this innovation is the advanced

section assembly concept developed in collaboration

with partner FFT. Imagine a sophisticated

ring station where component carriers are efficiently

aligned, supported by an FFT automated

and intelligent guided vehicle (iGV). This design

OPTIMIZED AIRCRAFT FUSELAGE ASSEMBLY

“SeMoSys shows new ways for floor-guided

shell transport and craneless assembly,

as well as implementation of smart toolings

and automated systems.”

Dr. Christian Kulik, SeMoSys Project Manager, Airbus

accommodates the A320 family and enables the

positioning of the three-part section using novel

component carriers that are guided and aligned

in a circular ring station – an impressive feat of

precision and efficiency. The experts at Fraunhofer

IFAM ensured tolerance compliance

during the assembly process using highly precise

measurement technology. This meticulous

planning leads to smooth workflows, paving the

way for a successful assembly process.

55

PRECISION IN ACTION: SYSTEM INSTALLA-

TION OF AIRCRAFT SUPPLY MODULES

After the assembly of the fuselage section, focus

turns to the precise installation of supply modules

of partner Hutchinson PFW. These modules

are delivered to the assembly site via an innovative,

mobile paternoster system, ensuring

smooth logistics. Installation occurs in very tight

spaces using a traverse and push chain technology,

with a strong emphasis on ergonomics for

the workforce. A successful full-scale validation

in Stade confirmed that efficiency and quality

can go hand in hand. Through these advancements,

the aerospace industry is not just adapting

but redefining competitive excellence in

manufacturing.

CAD model from SeMoSys ring station for sectional assembly of an aircraft fuselage

with integrated system installation.

CONTACT

Benjamin Diehl

benjamin.diehl@ifam.fraunhofer.de

Automated installed systems in fuselage section.

CAPGEMINI

56

DIGITAL TWINS:

BRIDGING PHYSICAL

AND VIRTUAL

WORLDS WITH XR

In an increasingly digital world, Digital

Twins are revolutionizing industries by

seamlessly connecting physical and virtual

environments. Enabled by extended reality

(XR), artificial intelligence (AI) and the Internet

of things (IoT), they provide real -

time insights, predictive analytics and enhanced

decision-making. Businesses can

optimize operations, improve efficiency

and drive innovation through these intelligent

systems.

At Capgemini Engineering, we leverage these

technologies to create transformative solutions

across industries. Advanced 3D capturing methods,

powered by mobile devices, drones and

autonomous robots, enable real-time spatial

mapping, further expanding the potential of

digital twins.

This year, we spotlight breakthroughs in 3D capturing

and digital twin technology. By integrating

XR and advanced sensor systems, we set new

benchmarks for creating dynamic, continuously

updated digital twins. These innovations enhance

decision-making, boost operational efficiency

and pave the way for smarter, more sustainable

ecosystems.

DIGITAL TWINS: BRIDGING PHYSICAL AND VIRTUAL WORLDS WITH XR

“Capgemini’s acquisition of Unity’s

digital twin professional services arm

marks a bold leap forward, accelerating

enterprise digital transformation

with real-time 3D technology!”

Andreas Kötter, Head of Research & Innovation

THE FUTURE OF DIGITAL TWIN ECOSYSTEMS

The evolution of AI, robotics and IoT is making

digital twins more autonomous and self-updating,

allowing businesses to optimize operations

effortlessly. Enhanced 3D capturing, combined

with AR and VR, is reshaping entertainment, education

and more.

However, challenges persist – high setup costs,

data management and large-scale rendering

require efficient solutions. In collaboration with

industrial and academic partners, we tackle

these issues through research on large-scale

digital twin rendering and 3D object capture

methods.

LEADING IN R&D

Capgemini Engineering advances digital twin

ecosystems through R&D projects and public -

funded consortia. We provide expertise across

industries, acting as a technology enabler. Digital

twins offer real-time data updates via IoT

sensors, accurately reflecting physical systems.

XR technologies – encompassing virtual reality

(VR), augmented reality (AR) and mixed reality

(MR) – enhance their applications across manufacturing,

healthcare, energy, aerospace and

smart cities.

TRANSFORMING INDUSTRIES

WITH DIGITAL TWINS

Digital twins of industrial shop floors enable

real -time monitoring, predictive maintenance

and optimized resource planning. Autonomous

mobile robots, equipped with SLAM (simultaneous

localization and Mapping), enhance spatial

mapping and efficiency. In aerospace, virtual IoT

maintenance systems industrialize digital ecosystems,

improving factory visualization and

training through XR-based solutions.

Sensor-integrated digital twins also optimize

urban environments, enabling smarter urban

planning, traffic management and disaster preparedness.

Capgemini’s Unity-based VR applications

provide simulations for weather forecasting,

traffic flow optimization and emergency

scenarios. Beyond urban applications, we are

exploring innovative VR integrations with MBSE

(model-based systems engineering) to push the

boundaries of simulation and efficiency.

SHAPING THE FUTURE

As industries seek cost efficiency and operational

improvements, digital twins combined with XR

technologies will drive real-world impact. By integrating

AI, robotics and IoT, Capgemini

Engineering continues to push the boundaries

of scalable, real-time digital twin solutions.

These advancements will be pivotal in building

smarter, more sustainable ecosystems and

shaping the future of industry and society. Let’s

embrace this transformation and create a more

connected world together.

Read more about

our other research

projects.

CONTACT

Andreas Kötter

57

andreas.koetter@capgemini.com

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

58

It’s a match – the

ZAL kicker league

has been connecting

people since 2017.

“The ZAL kicker league is like

research – just faster. It’s a playful

way to learn, experiment,

observe, adjust strategies and

develop a competitive spirit.”

Simon Beckmann, Team MO-6, DLR Institute of Maintenance,

Repair and Overhaul

KICKS & COLLABORATION

How does the league work?

PATRICK Teams meet during their lunch breaks

for league matches. The league is divided into

two divisions, so there’s a place for both beginners

and more experienced players. Teams are

typically composed of members from various

companies at ZAL. This year is particularly exciting

because, for the first time, we have a

team made up of members from different

companies. It’s a great example of how easily

aviation professionals connect at ZAL around a

subject they pursue with enthusiasm.

At ZAL, collaboration and networking takes

many forms, but one of the most unique

and popular is the ZAL kicker league.

FUTURED sat down with current league coordinator

Patrick Naujoks to learn more

about this community-driven initiative and

what makes it so special.

The ZAL kicker league has become a wellloved

tradition. How did it all begin?

PATRICK Unlike many of ZAL’s other events,

which are expertly organized by our event

team, our kicker league is a grassroots effort

through and through. It was started by a member

of the ZAL community and has been growing

ever since.

Would you say that the networking happening

here influences or spreads across to

other areas?

PATRICK What is special about our kicker

league is the relaxed atmosphere. Engineers

and professionals from different companies

connect across hierarchies without the usual

formalities. It’s not just about playing; it’s

about coming together, watching, cheering,

competing, laughing a lot and sharing a common

interest – in short, having fun together.

From this, connections and relationships are

formed. And indeed, people frequently ask me

how I got to know a certain person, and the answer

is often “the ZAL kicker league!” And as

you can imagine, these connections make collaboration

on projects or the exchange of

ideas and technologies much easier.

What’s your vision for the league’s future?

PATRICK I’d love to see us expand – with more

space for the tables or a dedicated community

room someday or even more soccer tables. The

potential to connect even more people is huge.

I am sure there are amateurs who are interested

but who are currently afraid to approach the

tables because they only meet experienced

players. I think it would be easy to create a third

league. The league is about connecting people,

no matter their skill at table soccer.

59

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

WANT TO JOIN

OR START

A NEW TEAM?

The ZAL kicker league

is open to everyone!

Currently, 16 teams are organized

into two divisions,

welcoming both beginners

and seasoned table soccer

players.

60

CONTACT

Patrick Naujoks

kickerliga@zal.aero

“People frequently ask me how

I got to know a certain person,

and the answer is often:

the ZAL kicker league!”

Patrick Naujoks, Team NP^2 and League Coordinator,

ZAL GmbH

KICKS & COLLABORATION

“For me, the ZAL kicker

league is just like working at

ZAL – it’s easy to connect,

exchange ideas and stay focused

on success, of course!”

Lisa Marie Meier, Team Knallgasbande, Airbus

61

ZAL @Silpion

Kicker Cup 2025

Over 200 teams – including many

from ZAL – will compete in the Silpion

Kicker Cup at Millerntor Stadion

this year. Register your team here to

join them, or cheer on your favorite

ZAL team as a supporter! When?

On May 9, 2025.

More info about Silpion

Kicker Cup 2025.

TECCON

HYDROGEN TAKES OFF –

SUSTAINABLY

INTO THE FUTURE

62

CONTACT

Jörg Manthey

joerg.manthey@teccon.de

Powerful, scalable hydrogen drives are crucial

for emission-free aviation. The H2 FINI-

TY research project developed this technology

for UAVs and studied their potential

application for small aircraft. A milestone

was reached with the successful maiden

flight of a hydrogen-powered UAV. The follow-up

project HYDRO-BUNNY takes these

achievements even further and enables autonomous,

sustainable hydrogen refueling

for unmanned aerial vehicles – an important

step towards climate-neutral aviation.

MAIDEN FLIGHT IN H2 FINITY: A MILESTONE

H2 FINITY, in which TECCON, mb+Partner, ZAL

and Thelsys were involved, made significant

progress with the first successful flight of their

hydrogen-powered drone on November 8, 2024.

The UAV, for which a hydrogen powertrain was

developed, proved the basic functionality of its

fuel cell propulsion system and its potential efficiency.

Although it requires further optimization

to achieve operational reliability, the successful

demonstration shows the potential of hydrogen

as a primary energy carrier for UAV and paves

the way for wider applications of hydrogen-powered

UAVs and small aircraft.

HYDRO-BUNNY: THE NEXT LEVEL

Building on the success of H2 FINITY, project HY-

DRO-BUNNY is advancing hydrogen technology

for UAVs. HYDRO-BUNNY is being carried out

jointly by TECCON, mb+Partner, ZAL and the IF-

PT at Hamburg University of Technology (TUHH).

The project is developing an autonomous refueling

system that supplies UAVs with hydrogen

and requires no human intervention. The combination

of a self-sufficient energy supply and an

HYDROGEN TAKES OFF – SUSTAINABLY INTO THE FUTURE

HIGH-PERFORMANCE, SCALABLE

HYDROGEN POWER TRAINS ARE

NECESSARY FOR LOW-CARBON

PROPULSION OF AIRCRAFT.

innovative refueling process ensures continuous

operational readiness even in remote areas,

significantly improving flight duration, efficiency

and economic viability. In addition to gaseous

hydrogen, the use of liquid hydrogen is also being

investigated in order to further increase the

energy density and enable even longer flight

times.

PRACTICAL APPLICATIONS

HYDRO-BUNNY opens up new possibilities for

the use of UAVs in critical and demanding missions.

For example, drones could control large

hilly areas of forest thanks to self-sufficient energy

supply and autonomous hydrogen refueling.

The integration of liquid hydrogen technology

significantly increases the range and enables

long-duration missions with minimal maintenance

effort.

Mid-term milestone meeting at ZAL on April 10, 2024.

63

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

H2 FINITY and HYDRO-BUNNY are part of the initiative

GATE (Green Aviation Technologies). The

project is supported by funds of the city of Hamburg

and administered by IFB Hamburg. First flight at Rotenburg airfield on November 8, 2024.

Self-sufficient

H 2 supply unit

H 2 hose

Sensor solutions

for coupling / refueling

process

H 2 interface

Drone – Supply unit

Drone lock

Refueling process

Modified H 2 drone

Starting / landing platform

System overview of the Hydro-

Bunny hydrogen refueling process.

Automatic

refueling system

REALISE system

PRODOSE

The technician (in yellow jacket) receives guidance from a remote expert, who is seamlessly integrated into the local scene via smartphone or tablet.

64

VISIOPORTATION –

TELEPORTATION

IS NOW!

CONTACT

Rudi Sordes

rudi.sordes@prodose.de

PRODOSE has been a new player at the ZAL

TechCenter since 2024. Specializing in research

and development, PRODOSE is a Tier 1

subcontractor for Airbus and holds a portfolio

of nearly 200 patents worldwide. PRODOSE

revolutionizes remote assistance with VISIO-

PORTATION.

PRODOSE has been providing aircraft maintenance

services to airlines and aerospace manufacturers

since 1999. It operates globally, which

led its R&D teams to identify a strategic need:

bridging the gap between field experts and end

users in maintenance and production. This is

how VISIOPORTATION was born.

AN INNOVATION COMPLEMENTARY TO

AUGMENTED REALITY

VISIOPORTATION is a groundbreaking advancement

that enhances remote collaboration by

enabling the real-time fusion of two or more

real environments into a single shared experience.

This concept, called “real reality” (registered

PRODOSE trademark), , is designed to

complement existing technologies like augmented

reality by offering a different approach

to immersive interaction.

This technology allows for the virtual teleportation

of any expert or remote advisor into the

physical environment of a user requiring support.

VISIOPORTATION – TELEPORTATION IS NOW!

“We were genuinely surprised to see a

person ‘teleported’ into a real scene

from several kilometers away. It was

mind-blowing!”

Dr. Morou Boukari, project manager at VISIOPORTATION

While augmented and virtual reality focus on

creating or overlaying digital elements onto a

scene, VISIOPORTATION provides an instantly

operational solution for multiple equipped

users, requiring no time-consuming or costly 3D

modeling.

“At the beginning of the project, when we created

the first prototype, we knew the potential of

the technology we were developing and patenting.

However, we were genuinely surprised to

see a person ‘teleported’ into a real scene from

several kilometers away. It was mind-blowing!” –

says Dr. Morou Boukari, project manager at VI-

SIOPORTATION.

DEPLOYMENT AND INITIAL APPLICATIONS

Currently, VISIOPORTATION is in its testing phase

in the aircraft production and military sectors. In

aircraft production, assembly technicians must

manage a wide variety of equipment, making process

standardization more complex. VISIOPORTA-

TION enables them to receive instant assistance

from an expert, as if they were physically present.

A FAR-REACHING IMPACT

BEYOND AEROSPACE

While aerospace is the first field of experimentation,

VISIOPORTATION was designed as a universal

solution with numerous potential applications:

• Military and security operations: intervention

teams can be guided in real time by a command

center, with images transmitted via

drones, creating direct immersion for decisionmaking.

These applications have already been

successfully tested.

• Medical sector: imagine a doctor or nurse

virtually teleported to a patient’s bedside on

the other side of the world to provide instant

guidance.

65

• Fashion and personalized consulting: a top

designer could advise a client 5,000 km away,

appearing as if physically present to offer tailored

recommendations.

• Immersive customer experience: a product

specialist could assist a remote buyer, providing

real-time advice in an interactive virtual

showroom.

Example of a VISIOPORTATION advisor’s workstation.

With its innovative approach, VISIOPORTATION

is more than just a technological breakthrough –

it is redefining the way humans interact remotely.

The future of immersive collaboration starts

today.

SIEMENS

VIRTUAL

CERTIFI CATION

USING THE

DIGITAL THREAD

• Lack of automated traceability: rough

traceability is manually achieved by reports

with written-down references, complicating

certification audits and hindering automation.

66

To mitigate these inefficiencies, a CAD-CAE integrated

framework was proposed, leveraging

Simcenter 3D and Teamcenter Simulation to enforce

data continuity, automation and configuration

management.

Transforming engineering processes for more cost-effective certification

is crucial for technology leadership.

See background

information on

integrated design

analysis.

Aircraft structural engineering evolves

across three primary phases: conceptual,

preliminary and detailed design. Each stage

involves an increasing number of design

variables, shifting the focus from optimization

to compliance validation. Traditional

workflows suffer from inefficiencies due to:

• Siloed design and analysis work: mostly

manual data exchange, limited transparency

between different domains.

• Cumbersome design updates: with unclear

data flow, changes require high effort and time

and increase the risk of errors due to inconsistent

data.

DIGITAL THREAD IMPLEMENTATION:

A STRUCTURAL WORKFLOW

FOR DRONE DESIGN

The methodology is demonstrated on a remotely

piloted surveillance aircraft, subject to 1445

critical load cases derived from aerodynamic

and inertial considerations. The workflow comprises:

1. Load Case Derivation: static aeroelastic

analysis determines critical flight conditions,

leveraging NASA-derived maneuver definitions.

2. FEA model development: associative geometry

linking ensures direct connectivity between

CAD and global (GFEM) and detailed

(DFEM) finite element models.

3. Margin of Safety (MoS) calculation: integrated

stress assessment eliminates manual

data handling, providing real-time structural

compliance metrics.

VIRTUAL CERTIFI CATION USING THE DIGITAL THREAD

“How can we avoid that increasing certification

cost is hindering innovative future aircraft

developments? The digital thread will be a

key-enabler for technology leadership.”

Dr. Christoph Starke, Siemens Industry Software GmbH

4. Optimization via design space exploration

(DSE): automated parameter studies refine

structural thicknesses and mass distributions

while maintaining required MoS.

EFFICIENCY GAINS AND CERTIFICATION

READINESS

This fully digitalized process yields two substantial

improvements:

• Accelerated design iterations, enabling faster

trade-off studies and thereby optimized structural

weight, balancing material efficiency with

safety margins.

• Automated compliance documentation, ensuring

long-term certification traceability at lower cost

compared to manual tracing on report basis.

CONCLUSION

By integrating geometry, simulation and certification

workflows within a continuous digital

thread, this approach demonstrates significant

reductions in engineering lead times and regulatory

overhead. The proposed methodology

supports a paradigm shift towards simulationdriven

certification, paving the way for more

efficient aircraft development and streamlined

regulatory approval processes.

CONTACT

Dr. Christoph Starke

christoph.starke@siemens.com

67

Read the full

research paper here.

Visualization of the fictitious surveillance drone. The drone design was performed by

Siemens as a proof of concept for a certification-directed design approach using the

digital thread, ensuring automated traceability of all data flow and design versions.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

ZAL EXPERT

COMMUNITY

68

Since the launch of ZAL TechCenter, the Innovation

Services division has become a

trusted partner for support in research and

technology projects. Initially, its primary focus

was addressing the immediate needs of

one key partner by providing testing, hardware

support, services and collaborative

funding projects. Furthermore, funded research

projects have been carried out in collaboration

with SMEs, universities and research

institutions. Through joint industry

and funding projects, ZAL Innovation Services

supports the networking of experts

and partners as well as the definition and

utilization of the technical infrastructure at

ZAL TechCenter.

Players involved

In its current phase, the Expert Communities

consist of representatives from ZAL’s

supervisory board (Airbus, LHT, DLR, ZAL

Association, universities, BWI Hamburg),

who nominate technically skilled individuals

with decision-making authority based

on the topics at hand. For further development,

the participant group is expected to

expand to include experts from additional

partners within the Hamburg metropolitan

region. In the long term, participation

by qualified professionals from related

fields (e.g., wind energy, automotive industry,

shipping) is also envisioned to explore

potential synergies.

To further enhance the efficiency and impact

of these activities, the division is now refining

its focus areas with so-called Expert Communities.

These communities identify core competencies

and align them with the evolving needs

of ZAL partners. The Expert Communities serve

as cross-partner exchange and communication

platforms, promoting trust, open dialogue and

constructive technical collaboration. This approach

increases transparency and mutual understanding

of each partner’s activities, allowing

for their further development based on

real-world requirements.

A key focus of this initiative is aligning ZAL Innovation

Services’ topics and offerings with the

specific interests of the aviation community.

This includes services, research demonstrators

and research infrastructure tailored to industry

requirements. The shared goals reflect both

the shareholders’ immediate needs and Hamburg’s

strategic innovation priorities. The communities

also evaluate longterm trends, identifying

required research hardware, skill sets

and potential areas for growth and development.

The topics explored within the Expert Communities

are guided by five key criteria:

1. Aviation-relevant megatrends

2. The global aviation ecosystem

3. Strategic priorities for Hamburg

4. ZAL’s core business activities

5. Interest from at least two ZAL shareholders

ZAL EXPERT COMMUNITY

Results & success

An exemplary success of the

Expert Communities is the collaborative

development that has led

to the Green Aviation Technology

Roadmap, see p. 32–33.

These criteria directly shape the Innovation

Services’ focus areas, enabling meaningful and

future-proof collaboration with partners at ZAL

TechCenter.

At the request of the Expert Community participants,

the next phase will tackle high-potential

topics, including: developing an open, neutral

cabin reference architecture at ZAL, bridging

the industrialization gap between TRL6 and

TRL7 and supporting operations through

shared infrastructure. These ambitious initiatives

present unique challenges for all partners.

However, a collaborative approach will

pave the way for effective and sustainable

solutions, strengthening innovation within the

aviation industry and beyond.

Way of working

The Expert Communities are organized and

facilitated by ZAL GmbH. Designed as workshop-style

events, these gatherings take

place in person at ZAL TechCenter. This format

has proven effective in fostering

trust-building discussions, where more detailed

background information can be

shared – essential for deeper mutual understanding.

Currently, workshops are held

twice a year, during which ongoing topics

are presented and discussed and potential

new topics identified. In addition, supplementary

workshops are being planned to

develop further collaborative activities.

69

ZAL in Hamburg is a hub

for Networking, Collaboration,

and Innovation for the

Future of Aviation.

ZAL Vision

You have questions or suggestions –

or you want to participate in the Expert

Communities? We look forward to

hearing from you – feel free to reach out!

FEV

FEV DETECTS

HIGH-VOLTAGE

DISCHARGE IN

AEROSPACE

70

CONTACT

Roman Schilke

schilke@fev.com

FEV, a leading global engineering service

provider and innovation leader for aerospace,

sustainable mobility, software and

energy solutions, has developed PD-HVX

(“Partial Discharge – High Voltage X”), the

world’s first solution for the early detection

and prevention of partial discharge in

high-voltage electric propulsion systems.

PD-HVX is now also being adapted by FEV to

the aerospace sector.

Partial discharge (PD) describes a local electrical

sparkover that can occur at high voltages above

several hundred volts. This has the potential to

cause damage to the insulation in modern electrical

motors, which in the worst-case scenario

may result in a total failure of the propulsion

system. FEV’s PD-HVX uses well-established

measuring systems with specialized sensors,

which are used for high-quality measurement in

electrical propulsion systems in aerospace like

in electric/hybrid turboprops. With this, FEV

helps its customers to identify partial discharge

during the development phase and take the

necessary actions to prevent damage due to

premature propulsion failures and additional

costs during development.

In aircrafts with electrical propulsion this risk of

partial discharge in electrical motor windings is

even higher due to the altitude and consequently

less air pressure compared to propulsion

units in ground vehicles. PD is caused by extremely

small defects or inhomogeneities in the

insulation material or contamination of surfaces.

If remained unnoticed within an electrical

propulsion system and occurring repeatedly,

this leads to gradual damage of the insulation

and to a premature stop of the propulsion.

PD-HVX uses electromagnetic frequency analysis,

one of the most precise and reliable measurement

methods in the field of electrical propulsion

systems with electrical motors and

motor control units like inverters. By this, the

electromagnetic fields around connections of

the motor and its motor control unit can be analyzed.

In a next step, the innovative system

then uses the measurement results to determine

whether partial discharges occur within

the electrical propulsion during operation.

PD has been known for a long time in the field of

electrical systems engineering and high-voltage

transmission networks, where corresponding

tests are common practice. In the aerospace

sector, the phenomenon is just gaining focus

with the increasing application of power electronics

like in airworthy electrical propulsion

systems, where either fuel cell power supply

FEV DETECTS HIGH-VOLTAGE DISCHARGE IN AEROSPACE

71

FEV’s PD-HVX allows high-quality measurement in electrical propulsion systems in aerospace.

and/or high voltage batteries are used as energy

sources for electrical propulsion systems.

Thanks to FEV’s many years of expertise in the

development of electrical propulsion systems

for aerospace, with PD-HVX the company can

now provide a dedicated solution for PD detection

on the spot.

This solution consists of a holistic service package

for aircraft manufacturers and tier-1 suppliers.

The test equipment, which is optimized for

electrical propulsion operation, filters out propulsion-related

interference signals and there-

fore enables significantly better measurement

results for PD. The customer subsequently receives

the data obtained in the tests for evaluation

and further interpretation.

FEV has a long track record in power, propulsion

and control electronics as well as various areas

of sensor technology. On request, the customer

can also make use of this expertise in data analysis

and system optimization.

Find out more

about FEV.

ZAL GMBH

72

Fynn Schröder working on the H 2 -Carrier in the ZAL H 2 drone lab.

H 2 DRONES:

FROM PROTOTYPE TO

COMMERCIAL REALITY

CONTACT

Fynn Schröder

fynn.schroeder@zal.aero

There are high hopes for drones playing a

major role in civilian applications, offering

significant benefits to industries and society

alike. For example, inspecting kilometers

of power lines could be done from the

air, or urgent blood supplies could be delivered

past traffic jams – without the need for

costly helicopter operations. However, the

limited range and flight time of commercially

available drones remain a barrier – most

battery-powered models need to land after

just around 30 minutes of flight time.

Hydrogen-powered drones break through these

limitations. Using compressed gaseous hydrogen

(GH 2 ), these drones can achieve flight times

of up to four hours. Yet, until now, they’ve primarily

been the domain of hydrogen specialists,

such as members of the ZAL Fuel Cell team, who

have designed and operated these systems for

H 2 DRONES: FROM PROTOTYPE TO COMMERCIAL REALITY

More info about

the collaboration.

research purposes. For these visionary applications

(see infobox) to become reality, the technology

needs to be more accessible.

To address this challenge, ZAL’s Hydrogen Drone

team has joined forces with Premium-Modellbau

to develop a hydrogen-powered octocopter

(H 2 -Carrier) that can be operated by non-fuel-cell

experts in everyday operations. ZAL is responsible

for integrating a fuel cell and hydrogen storage

system, followed by rigorous ground and

flight testing to ensure the drone’s reliability and

performance. Premium-Modellbau, the largest

UAV components reseller in the DACH region,

specializes in designing and manufacturing custom

drones for industrial and research applications.

As a leading provider of multicopter and

drone components, they not only develop professional

UAV solutions but also ensure reliable

spare parts support – making hydrogen drones a

viable solution for everyday use.

Long range, low cost:

the benefits of

hydrogen drones

Hydrogen drones are more than just an innovation

for extended flight times. Their long-range

capability makes them a cost-effective and lowemission

alternative to helicopters, enabling entirely

new applications in remote and challenging

environments that were previously impractical

with conventional drones.

INSPECTIONS

Offshore and onshore

inspections: powerlines,

pipelines and

railways

73

H 2 bottle

quick refill

Foldable arm

for easy transport

SURVEILLANCE

Search and rescue

missions, fire fighting,

situational assessment

Up to 4 h

flighttime

LOGISTICS

Up to 5 kg

payload

Time-critical logistics:

medical supplies,

emergency support

ZAL’s H 2 -Carrier drone: a compact yet powerful system designed

for easy deployment in a wide range of scenarios.

THELSYS

System of systems: a methodology

for assessing the

impact and benefits of an

innovation.

74

WHAT WEIGHT IS YOUR

INNOVATION?

SYSTEM OF SYSTEMS

System of Systems is an innovative approach to

creating aviation products and services that are

designed in a truly holistic manner. The underlying

idea is twofold: (1) to perform better in the

face of the conflicting priorities of climate impact,

sustainability, safety and economic success;

and (2) to become more resilient to the impacts

of disruptive markets and supply chains,

digitalization, and regulatory and economic policy

interventions.

THE PROJECT

The EU project COLOSSUS takes the methodology

of System of Systems Engineering (SoSE) and

reverses it: instead of the top-down approach of

developing a network of various interacting systems,

it takes the bottom-up perspective of optimizing

the integration of a new system into an

existing network. The approach targets the very

early stages of innovation and product development

and then accompanies the design process

in the form of periodic “reality checks.”

Read more about

COLOSSUS on LinkedIn.

THE MOTIVATION

In today’s complex and dynamic market environment,

our perspective in research and product

development is often too narrow. In the early

stages, the question now shifts from “How do I

solve this problem?” to “What problem should I

solve?” Only when priorities, trends, interactions

and interdependencies as well as other external

influences are fully considered and understood

can a robust solution be found that will succeed

in tomorrow’s reality.

THE OBJECTIVES

COLOSSUS aims to develop a research and innovation

(R&I) platform for the design and optimization

of new technologies, products and services

that allows for a new level of impact

assessment and interaction with the “real world.”

It is a logical continuation of AGILE, a European

research project that received the prestigious

ICAS Award for Innovation in Aeronautics from

the International Council of the Aeronautical Sciences

in 2018, and its successor AGILE 4.0.

WHAT WEIGHT IS YOUR INNOVATION?

Optimization of system networks through the combination

of technologies or products

Optimization of product or technology through integration

into system networks

direction of view

direction of view

A matter of perspective: strategies for analyzing networks of interoperating systems (left) and products in their future environment (right).

75

THE CONTENT

The project explores two product development

principles: “technology push,” where innovation

seeks a marketable application, and “market

pull,” where existing or emerging demand seeks

a solution. Each principle is analyzed through a

use case: sustainable mobility (push) and a forest

fire scenario (pull). The challenge is to introduce

two new products, a hybrid seaplane and

an eVTOL commuter vehicle, in both scenarios

and to optimize the requirements and conceptual

design in a holistic “real world” environment.

Of course, the goal is not to come up with viable

products, but to sharpen the system-of-system

design process, its design tools, and the framework

in which they are embedded.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

COLOSSUS has been funded by the European

Union under Grant Agreement No. 101097120.

The project involves 14 partners from seven

European countries. With ZAL tenant DLR Institute

of System Architectures in Aeronautics as

coordinator and ZAL Förderverein member

Thelsys as the second German partner, ZAL can

be considered as the pivot and hub of this European

initiative.

Find out more

about COLOSSUS.

CONTACT

Dr. Martin Spieck

martin.spieck@thelsys.de

THE VALUE

The potential benefits of the project are manifold:

from the COLOSSUS Academy to support

university education, to freely available design

tools, to the methodical development of research

and development processes in the aerospace

industry. Stay tuned for the project website

and the COLOSSUS LinkedIn channel for the

latest developments and results.

Simulation of a wildfire in Greece: eVTOLs and seaplanes in an indirect

attack strategy.

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

All episodes of the Hamburg

Aviation Green Podcast can

be found here.

LISTEN.

AND BE

INSPIRED.

Tired of reading? Here are three exciting

podcast episodes for you – enjoy!

LISTEN ON

76

Hydrogen is gaining traction in

aviation. But can liquid hydrogen,

a cryogenic fuel, be refueled

efficiently at commercial

airports? The Hydrogen Aviation Lab in Hamburg

is tackling this question. Using a decommissioned

A320, this real-world test facility – funded during

the pandemic – explores key challenges for hydrogen

adoption. Hans Bernd Aringhoff, Head of Corporate

Innovation at Lufthansa Technik, shares insights

into the lab’s work, that of its partners (DLR,

ZAL, Hamburg Airport) and its vision for a hydrogenpowered

future.

EPISODE #7: HANS BERND ARINGHOFF

HYDROGEN

AVIATION LAB:

PUSHING FORWARD

H 2 ADOPTION IN

HAMBURG

HAMBURG AVIATION GREEN PODCAST

Hydrogen could revolutionize

aviation – but at what cost?

Dr. Lucas Sens from TU Hamburg

explains findings from a EU

study on hydrogen adoption. By

2050, 65 percent of EU flights

could use hydrogen, with tickets

costing just seven percent more. Sens discusses Airbus’

ZEROe project, carbon pricing and salt caverns

for hydrogen storage. This episode dives into the

economic and technological challenges shaping aviation’s

green future.

EPISODE #8: DR. LUCAS SENS

HYDROGEN

AVIATION:

THE CHANCES, THE

COSTS, THE FUTURE

EPISODE #9: DR. BJÖRN NAGEL

LONG-HAUL

SOLUTIONS AND

DIGITAL TOOLS

FOR GREEN

AVIATION

In the first episode of Season 2 of Hamburg

Aviation Green, Angus Baigent and Caroline

Oxley talk to Dr. Björn Nagel, Director of the

DLR Institute of System Architectures in Aeronautics.

Which technologies hold the greatest

potential for greener aviation? How can climate

impacts be reduced? And what role does

hydrogen play, especially on long-haul routes?

Nagel shares insights into pioneering DLR

projects like EXACT and ALICIA and explains

how Hamburg's research ecosystem is shaping

the future of sustainable aviation.

77

IMPULSES & OUTLOOK

THE POTENTIAL

OF PROTECHNICALE

ALUMNAE

78

proTechnicale represents excellence in

STEM promotion and has set standards in

training and preparing young women to join

technical professions for over a decade.

The program offers two formats:

proTechnicale School (since 2022) is a hybrid

program for schoolgirls from grade 10 onwards

to explore STEM courses and professions, build a

network and strengthen their personalities.

proTechnicale Classic (since 2011) is a gap

year, in which female high school graduates experience

STEM degrees and professions handson,

acquire expertise, deepen social skills and

strengthen their personalities.

LISA STEINHAUSER

Project Manager for Quantum Technologies @hqic/ari

INGA MEYENBORG

Product Development Engineer @jetlite

What advice would you give to young women who are

thinking about taking part in proTechnicale?

Be courageous, be curious – take the chance of a year packed

full of new experiences, impressions and discoveries. It offers

you the opportunity to try out different subject areas, take on

challenges and find out what really excites you. You will learn a

lot – about technology, about the world and, last but not least,

about yourself. Become who you are!

With over 250 alumnae, proTechnicale has built

a strong community, whose members support

and inspire each other. Many graduates now

work as engineers, scientists or managers – key

players in designing and implementing innovative

solutions. In May 2024, over 80 alumnae

met at the first proTechnicale alumnae event at

ZAL TechCenter to exchange ideas and celebrate.

Topics ranged from pioneering technologies

and new work models to the role of women

in tech.

What is your profession today, and how did

proTechnicale prepare you for your path?

Today, I am a junior project manager at hqic, the City of

Hamburg’s initiative for quantum technologies. My time at

proTechnicale showed me that Hamburg is not only a wonderful

city that I enjoy living in, but also a hub for innovation

– one of the reasons I returned. Moreover, the program

empowered me to pursuing bold challenges and embrace

its philosophy of having faith and aiming for the stars. This

mindset led me to pursue my current job with the mission

of unlocking quantum technologies’ potential to solve complex

problems and make the world a better place.

A unique atmosphere filled the building, reflecting

what truly defines the proTechnicale community

– not just professional qualifications, but

a mindset of openness, curiosity and the drive

to tackle social and technological challenges.

A STRONG COMMUNITY AND

A MEANINGFUL MISSION

These excerpts demonstrate the courage and

drive of proTechnicale graduates. Their professional

success and passion for technology in-

THE POTENTIAL OF PROTECHNICALE ALUMNAE

spire people far beyond the community – a community

that is actively shaping the future of tech.

Companies benefit from this dynamic, whether

through fresh innovation or collaboration with

women ready to change the world.

Over 80 proTechnicale alumnae gathered at ZAL TechCenter to exchange

ideas, celebrate together and experience inspiring keynotes in an innovative

space. In the front row, you can also see founder and shareholder of

SOPHIA.T gGmbH Manfred Kennel (fifth from the right) and and proTechnicale‘s

Managing Director Friederike Fechner (far right).

79

As Friederike Fechner, Managing Director of

SOPHIA.T gGmbH says: “Our proTechnicale mission

is to inspire and empower future leaders to

strive toward a more diverse, innovative and

promising world.”

AYLIN BAHRAMPOUR

Dual student @Lufthansa Industry Solution

What skills or insights did you gain during your time

with the proTechnicale School program?

I learned the programming language Python and also realized

how important it is to network with other people. I got to know

many different jobs and study programs such as aerospace,

mechanical engineering and mechatronics that I hadn’t really

come across beforehand and had the chance to meet many

successful women who inspired me a lot. I also learned that

computer science is not just about programming; that there is

a lot more you can do with it.

VALERIE DAU

Mechanical engineering student @RWTH Aachen University

What inspired you to apply for both proTechnicale

programs School and Classic?

I was already deeply interested in STEM through practical subjects

at school, such as the “Chemistry in everyday life” workshop.

My mother found proTechnicale and drew my attention

to it, as I didn’t yet know where my journey would take me. With

my internship at Lufthansa Technik and my Girls’ Days there

and in German air traffic control, I realized that I was particularly

interested in the field of aviation. I found the variety and

diversity of the proTechnicale School program highly inspiring,

which is why I also applied to proTechnicale Classic after my

Abitur – for more deeper insight.

CONTACT

Wiebke Pomplun

office@protechnicale.de

For more information

please visit

www.protechnicale.de

IMPRINT

ZAL CENTER OF APPLIED

AERONAUTICAL RESEARCH

Hein-Sass-Weg 22

21129 Hamburg, Germany

+49 40 248 595 0

info@zal.aero

zal.aero

linkedin.com/company/zaltechcenter

facebook.com/ZALTechCenter

80

EDITORIAL

Miriam-Joana Flügger, ZAL GmbH

Georg Wodarz, ZAL GmbH

CONCEPT & DESIGN

FORMBA GmbH

info@formba.de

formba.de

PRINT PRODUCTION

RESET ST. PAULI Druckerei GmbH

info@resetstpauli.de

resetstpauli.de

PHOTO CREDITS

Cover: Daniel Reinhardt; p. 2: Daniel Reinhardt; p. 6–7: icons by FORMBA GmbH (Merle Rosen); p. 9: Daniel Reinhardt, illustration by FORMBA GmbH (Ines

Thaller); p. 10–11: Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 12–13: SFS (2); p. 14: Daniel Reinhardt; p. 16–17: VÆRIDION GmbH, FACC AG; p. 18–19: ZAL GmbH (Georg Wodarz),

Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 20–21: Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 22–23: Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 24–25: Daniel Reinhardt, esploro (7); p. 26–27: Akkodis (2);

p. 28–29: Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 30–31: Daniel Reinhardt (4), DLR (Philipp Czogalla); p. 32–33: Shutterstock (Gerckens- Photo-Hamburg), Daniel Reinhardt;

p. 34–35: Daniel Reinhardt (3); p. 37: Daniel Reinhardt, DLR Screenshot of Digital Hangar; p. 38–39: Daniel Reinhardt (2); p. 40–41: jetlite (3); p. 42–43:

FFT (2); p. 44–47: Lennart Dobravsky, illustrations by FORMBA GmbH (Merle Rosen); p. 48–49: Daniel Reinhardt, ZAL GmbH (Georg Wodarz, 3); p. 50–51:

BOCKFILM GmbH, Benjamin DEBUSSCHERE; p. 52–55: Fraunhofer IFAM (6); p. 56–57: Capgemini, Andreas Kötter; p. 58–59: Daniel Reinhardt, ZAL GmbH

(Georg Wodarz); p. 60–61: ZAL GmbH (Georg Wodarz, 4); p. 62–63: TECCON (3); p. 64–65: PRODOSE (2); p. 66–67: SIEMENS (2); p. 68–69: illustration by

FORMBA GmbH (Ines Thaller); p. 70–71: FEV; p. 72–73: Daniel Reinhardt, Unsplash (Jesse de Meilenaere, Michael Chacon), Sonja Brüggemann; p. 74–75:

Thelsys, AI-generated content using Canva (3), DLR, montage using Goolge Earth (Landsat/Copernicus image, © 2025 Airbus); p. 76–77: Lufthansa Technik,

Lucas Sens, DLR; p. 78–79: proTechnicale (Kristin Fock, 3), private (2)

THIS MAGAZINE WAS PRINTED IN A CLIMATE-NEUTRAL AND RESOURCE-SAVING WAY.

Tell us! Do you like the magazine?

And would you like your ZAL project to

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