The aviation industry is making a significant investment in climate neutrality. With six international airports and 50,000 employees, North Rhine-Westphalia is a major global aviation hub. Rheinisches Revier is leveraging its innovative potential to further enhance the region's economic significance, achieving key milestones in climate-neutral aviation, aircraft innovations and sustainable aviation technologies. It offers international companies fitting locations and an abundance of investment opportunities in green aviation.
Since the end of the pandemic, the aviation industry is not only recovering but also setting new records. By 2050, global air traffic is expected to nearly triple, requiring an estimated 41,000 new passenger and cargo aircraft to meet the rising demand.
The industry is facing substantial challenges as well. By 2045, Germany plans to use climate-neutral aviation exclusively, as outlined in the Federal Climate Protection Act. To achieve this, over 400 companies and 100 institutions in NRW’s aerospace sector are working on sustainable mobility solutions, aircraft and other aviation technologies every day. Their focus includes new propulsion systems, innovative materials and state-of-the-art software.
Three important locations in Rheinisches Revier are helping to shape this revolution: Würselen-Aachen, Mönchengladbach and Aldenhoven. Ambitious entrepreneurs and scientists in these areas are strengthening North Rhine-Westphalia's global leadership in aerospace technology. Supported by the European Green Deal, they are developing cutting-edge technology, creating new value chains and turning Rheinisches Revier into a leading think tank for sustainable aviation technologies. The region has great potential to become a leading aviation investment destination in the heart of Europe.
© Zukunftsagentur Rheinisches Revier GmbH
The Aachen region as a hub for sustainable aviation technologies
Würselen-Aachen serves as the multimodal mobility hub of North Rhine-Westphalia, in which established companies and innovative start-ups drive advancements in climate-neutral aviation. It exemplifies the integration of research, industry, and production and also offers excellent training and education opportunities in the aviation sector.
A diverse corporate landscape for climate-neutral aviation
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A diverse corporate
landscape for
climate-neutral aviation
To alleviate ground and air transportation, Aachen-based e.SAT GmbH is designing exceptionally quiet small electric aircraft. The deep-tech start-up Fibraworks focuses on the necessary thermoplastic composite materials. flyXdrive GmbH, specialists in fully automated flying systems, offer application-oriented research, development, and consulting in 3D mobility and solutions for unmanned aerial systems. Since 2019, Jetpel GmbH in Aachen has been developing ultra-quiet and eco-friendly aircraft powertrains, featuring their core innovation, the Jetpeller – a super-quiet shrouded propeller. INFORM focuses on digital decision-making to optimize business processes through data analysis, AI and operations research.
Application-oriented research for international aviation investment
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Application-oriented
research for international
aviation investment
Aachen and its surrounding area are well-positioned to attract and retain qualified young talent. Every year, around 2,700 graduates complete aerospace engineering programs at FH Aachen and the University of Excellence RWTH Aachen. These students work on aircraft design, alternative propulsion technologies, such as hydrogen combustion in gas turbines, and simulate innovative flight systems in virtual reality labs. RWTH Aachen's Institute of Flight System Dynamics conducts research on automated and unmanned flight systems, focusing on their regulation and control. Its Institute of Aerospace systems (ILR) mainly devotes its research activities to aircraft design, also incorporating and evaluating new technologies. FH Aachen’s research not least focuses on autonomous flying for drones and aircraft as well as (hybrid-)electric drive systems.
Access, a spin-off of RWTH Aachen University, is also based in Aachen. Its development center features over 4,000 square meters of cutting-edge industrial production lines for manufacturing cast parts from high-performance materials and contributes significantly to the region's structural transformation. The Access team is also developing digitalized production processes for the aviation industry.
The Würselen-Aachen research airfield: Europe's hub for climate-neutral aviation
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The Würselen-Aachen
research airfield:
Europe's hub for
climate-neutral aviation
Würselen-Aachen Airport is among the busiest in Germany. It has now been designated as a research airport and is a core project of the aviation anchor initiative, recognized by NRW as crucial for structural change. The airport encourages close collaboration between research, industry, SMEs and start-ups to quickly ready technologies for real-world use. International aviation companies’ investments are playing a crucial role, especially if they promote sustainability.
Designing a new generation of aircraft
Funding projects associated with the research airport include the Innovation Center for Small Aircraft Technologies (INK) of the German Aerospace Center (DLR), the FH-AERO.SCIENCE research hangar and the Access Production Launch Center. Aero-Park Merzbrück, located on the northern end of the site, houses the heart of the research airfield: the Aviation Innovation Center (AIC).
The AIC, an innovation hub with ample space and state-of-the-art infrastructure, will serve as a launchpad for climate-neutral aviation – also by facilitating investment in future-oriented businesses. True to the motto "brains, capital, cooperation", it connects industrial companies, start-ups and scientific research. The AIC combines an aviation incubation program with various services, consulting and event formats. Its spacious office, co-working and workshop areas allow new networks to develop business models, products and services.
The PLCA aims to establish a network of industry-focused and complementary development centers. Its goal is to advance automated, scalable and cost-optimized production processes across sectors and implement them for industrial applications. Eco-efficiency is a top priority in line with the planned ECO2 Air economic ecosystem.
The FH.AERO.Science research hangar at Aachen University of Applied Sciences is dedicated to climate-neutral aviation. It focuses on researching pioneering components and subsystems, but also testing them directly in flight trials.
The Innovation Center for Small Aircraft Technologies (INK) at the DLR facility focuses on electric flight and (inter)urban mobility. It provides young scientists with a research environment and access to strong partners. The center aims to make passenger and freight transport more resource and noise-efficient, particularly through research on fully electric or hybrid small aircraft and demonstrator projects. It also supports the training of pilots, engineers and technicians.
Led by the Institute of Flight System Dynamics at RWTH Aachen University, the EULE project is developing European UAV-assisted transportation solutions for medical goods. These unmanned aerial systems aim to efficiently connect logistics processes between hospitals, laboratories and pharmaceutical wholesalers, which improvesmedical care in urban and rural areas.
© Flughafengesellschaft Mönchengladbach GmbH
Mönchengladbach: Dynamic activity at the General Aviation Center
Mönchengladbach Airport (MGL) is a key transport hub for Rheinisches Revier and, with nearly 50,000 aircraft movements annually, is the largest general aviation airport in North Rhine-Westphalia. The airport hosts aps | Aviation Parts Service, one of Europe’s largest aircraft spare parts dealers and Rheinland Air Service GmbH, which manages aircraft maintenance, refueling and sales.
Mönchengladbach Airport as a general aviation hub
Airport benefits
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Mönchengladbach Airport
as a general
aviation hub
With its control zone and instrument landing system, Mönchengladbach Airport is a real-world laboratory for a broad spectrum of research activities. 45 companies with over 750 employees are based at MGL, contributing to its development as a mobility hub for sustainable aviation technologies. The airport collaborates intensively with Aachen University of Applied Sciences on the SkyCab project for electric flight. MGL is also the first airport in Germany to offer sustainable aviation fuel through Rheinland Air Service. The airport’s initiatives in automated process control and live CO2 tracking underscore its role as an innovator in climate protection and digitalization.
Sky Track Plus
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Sky Track Plus
The Sky Track Plus research project is a collaboration between Mönchengladbach Airport (MGL), Aachen University of Applied Sciences, DRONIQ GmbH, Paderborn/Lippstadt Airport and the city of Mönchengladbach. The project aims to develop a mixed flight operation consisting of both manned and unmanned aviation as part of the mobility transition. MGL serves as a real-world lab for this initiative.
Aldenhoven: A versatile aviation center
Aldenhoven’s leading benefit is the region’s complementary mix of industries, valued by both leading companies and research institutions. The location also offers a great deal of expertise for researching and testing automated aviation applications. MaTeck from the neighboring town of Jülich has established itself as a leading manufacturer of single crystals and materials for industrial, research, and development applications. Also based in Jülich, Pronexos provides industrial services and valuable expertise to the aerospace industry.
The Future Mobility Park Aldenhoven: Pioneering climate-neutral aviation
The Future Mobility Park Aldenhoven brings together the institutes active in mobility research at RWTH Aachen University. The university aims to create a platform with partners from industry, politics and science. At the Future Mobility Park, students and researchers explore automated transport, innovative propulsion concepts and electromobility topics. And of course, there will also be a huge commercial area, open to aviation-related investment and settlement. The upcoming Center for Vertical Mobility (CVM) will focus on unmanned and passenger-carrying aircraft. This unique center will further establish Rheinisches Revier as a leading hub for vertical mobility in the aerospace industry.
In good company: Rheinisches Revier's radiance
Rheinisches Revier's surrounding area highlights the region’s economic potential and innovative strength in aviation. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Cologne, one of Germany’s most renowned research centers, is nearby. The 10,000 DLR employees contribute significant expertise and economic impact to the global aerospace industry. AeroSpace.NRW, also a few kilometers away, is a network established by North Rhine-Westphalia’s Ministry of Economic Affairs, Industry, Climate Protection and Energy (MWIKE) to boost the state’s innovation and competitiveness. The international airports in Düsseldorf and Cologne/Bonn, along with their numerous local companies, contribute to the region’s reputation as a first-class center of aviation expertise.
Ready for take off? Discover your aviation investment opportunities!
To make climate-neutral aviation a reality, Rheinisches Revier offers international companies and research institutions exceptional conditions for their aviation investments. NRW.Global Business experts can show you how to become part of this dynamic region and benefit from its advantages. Get in touch with us to learn more!
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