The future of aviation depends on one crucial factor: clean propulsion systems. But the development, system integration, validation and approval of fossil-free propulsion technologies is also one of the biggest challenges facing the aviation industry – especially against the backdrop of strict safety requirements. A key problem is that there are currently no adequate test vehicles available to enable research institutions and small and medium-sized companies in Lusatia, Saxony, to evaluate new propulsion technologies under real conditions and bring them to market maturity. Without such test facilities, the development and approval of innovative drive technologies is considerably more difficult.

For this reason, the Institute of Lightweight Engineering and Polymer Technology (ILK) and the Institute of Aerospace Engineering(ILR) at TU Dresden are opening up the skies as a test track for fossil-free propulsion systems with the joint project "FloFlu". The project is pursuing the goal of sustainable, safe and emission-free aviation. This is precisely where the new research aircraft comes in: For the first time, it offers the opportunity to test pioneering systems such as hydrogen storage, fuel cells and turbo generators in flight!

As a flying experimental laboratory, the future research aircraft will not only be flexible, but also powerful enough to test various technologies in parallel during operation. This not only creates space for research, but also accelerates the entire development and certification process. The path from the idea to a marketable, climate-neutral drive is thus significantly shortened – and under real conditions that give the future of aviation the necessary impetus.

Initiative of the Aviation Region East Germany

The project is a key component of the Aviation Region East, a transnational initiative of the Brandenburg University of Technology Cottbus-Senftenberg (btu), the Technical University of Berlin(TU Berlin), the Technical University of Dresden (TU Dresden ) as well as DLR Cottbus and DLR Dresden. The collaboration pools complementary expertise from Berlin, Brandenburg and Saxony in order to advance the research and development of climate-friendly aircraft engines and enable their integration into real operations. The newly created "science and business platform for climate-friendly engines and their mission-oriented integration" will make eastern Germany a central innovation area for the aviation industry.

TU Dresden plays a key role in this context. With its Smart Mobility Lab in Hoyerswerda, equipped with a state-of-the-art research infrastructure, TU Dresden is initiating an interdisciplinary dialog between science and industry with the aim of actively shaping the future of aviation. Close cooperation with small and medium-sized companies and research institutions in the Lusatia region enables the direct transfer of technological innovations into practice. This strengthens the Saxon economy, promotes participation in structural change and lays the foundation for climate-friendly mobility.

With the launch of the "FloFlu" research project, the ILK and the ILR want to soar to new heights and show how the future of aviation is becoming concrete and tangible. The research aircraft marks a decisive step towards emission-free flying and puts Lusatia in the spotlight as a hotspot for advanced mobility solutions.