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The most important problem for the future of the aviation industry is not the consequences of the corona pandemic, it is climate change.
Before the pandemic, the share of international air traffic in global greenhouse gas emissions was around three percent - and most people in emerging countries have not yet even taken part in air travel.
Hamburg wants to make a significant contribution to practically reinventing the aircraft in the coming years and decades.
Hydrogen as drive energy will be a central topic, but also 3D printing and new materials for lighter machines, the entire supply chain and international airspace management.
After Seattle and Toulouse, Hamburg is the third largest location for the civil aircraft industry worldwide, with the heavyweights Airbus and Lufthansa Technik and numerous supplier companies.
The Hanseatic city is now investing a further 25 million euros in order to develop an international top position in research and development for the aviation industry, said Michael Westhagemann (independent), Senator for Economics and Innovation, on Tuesday.
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One million euros of this will be used to set up a so-called Sustainable Aero Lab, a virtual platform to support start-ups around the world that work for the aviation industry.
“The sustainable change that the aviation industry is facing will also bring many new opportunities.
In order to tap into these, we need more open exchange and more speed, ”said Westhagemann.
“With the Sustainable Aero Lab, we are bringing precisely these points into focus.
Hamburg is one of the world's largest aviation locations with the clear goal of taking on a leading role in the development of sustainable aviation technologies. "
The Sustainable Aero Lab was initiated by the Hamburg company Density Ventures of the series founder and investor Stephan Uhrenbacher.
The Hamburg Aviation branch network and the Center for Applied Aviation Research (ZAL) are participating in the project as associated partners.
The Sustainable Aero Lab is supported by the Authority for Economy and Innovation and funded by the Innovations- und Förderbank Hamburg (IFB).
“We want to create a leading global platform from Hamburg to accelerate the development of sustainable aviation technologies, bring together leading international minds and, in particular, lower the hurdles for start-ups to gain a foothold in the industry,” said Uhrenbacher.
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Experienced managers from the aviation industry, who are supposed to advise the participating start-up companies, are an integral part of the Sustainable Aero Lab.
The mentors of the opening round that will begin these days include Nico Buchholz, the former fleet boss of the Lufthansa Group and manager of the aircraft manufacturer Bombardier, the former Boeing and Comac manager Susan Ying, who is currently working as technology director at Ampaire, and Paul Eremenko, formerly Board member of Airbus and currently co-founder and head of Universal Hydrogen.
The main thing is to accelerate technological developments at start-up companies, said Uhrenbacher.
The companies do not have to be present in Hamburg in terms of space or personnel, or participate financially in the Sustainable Aero Lab.
Four times a year, the Sustainable Aero Lab is supposed to bring the participating start-up companies together with the mentors at virtual conferences.
Hamburg created a model for an open research and development platform with the ZAL, which opened in 2016.
It offers around 600 workplaces, test facilities for extensive studies on aircraft components and for material analyzes.
In addition to the city of Hamburg and the companies Airbus and Lufthansa Technik, the German Aerospace Center (DLR) and four Hamburg universities are also involved.
The ZAL will also coordinate the Sustainable Aero Lab.
"Making aviation more sustainable will be a dominant topic for the next few years and decades, not just in Hamburg," said Ulf Weber, Managing Director of Hamburg Aviation.
"In this context, the Sustainable Aero Lab will be a real Hamburg 'beacon' with international appeal."