Aerospace

Powerhouse for innovation

Since antiquity flight and space travel have been one of the biggest dreams of mankind. There has been a steady stream of innovations in this field, not  least because of this emotional bond.  Between the flight of Icarus and the start of the Ariane rocket the development towards air travel into the earth's atmosphere and into space has gone through several stages. With its ongoing innovative drive aerospace continues to reveal substantial growth potential.

Bavaria -  top in aerospace

The State of Bavaria is one of the few locations in the world in which the aerospace sector boasts a high level of competence in both industry and research.

The structured organization of the aerospace sector in Bavaria provides an ideal basis. Bavaria is home to

• Three system companies of the sector,
• A host of companies in the equipment sector,
• Technical service providers,
• Science and training facilities as well as
• A well-developed air traffic infrastructure.

There is a focus on the construction of military aircraft, propulsion systems, helicopters and  sub-systems and devices required for these systems. Further key competence areas are structures, drives and solar generators for spacecraft and satellites.

Some 23,000 engineers, technicians and commercial experts in the field of aerospace - making up over a third of all persons employed in this sector in Germany - are based in Bavaria and generate annual sales of approximately 4.8 billion euro. When including those persons employed in the air traffic sector (airports of Munich, Nuremberg, Augsburg and Hof) the number of people employed is actually well over 50,000.

The research and training at the universities provides a constant supply of highly qualified personnel.  In Munich alone there is an annual turnout of some 200 academics qualifying from the Technical University, the University of Applied Sciences and the University of the Bundeswehr.

Since 1990 Bavaria has provided over 180 million euro for aerospace research. These funds go mostly into cooperation research projects and strengthen the cooperation between the diverse aerospace companies in Bavaria.

Market and partners in the field of aerospace 

Internationally renowned companies of the aerospace industry like EADS, Eurocopter, MTU Aero Engines, and also SMEs such as IABG and Liebherr Aerospace or Diehl are based in Bavaria.

Bavaria is the leading location for military aircraft. The final assembly of the Eurofighter is carried out in Manching near Ingolstadt; major components such as fuselage middle structure are manufactured in Augsburg. The military helicopter  NH 90 and Tiger are also products made in Bavaria, as is also the civil  EC 135. Maintenance of the MIG 29 is carried out in Manching  as part of a German-Russian corporate cooperation.

Bavaria is also a major Airbus site. Key parts for the Airbus family and other aircraft originate from Bavaria. Bavarian companies manufacture, for example, undercarriage, turbines, supply and disposal systems as well as cabin systems.

Major aerospace companies such as  EADS-Astrium, MAN-Technologie and Kayser-Threde are based in Bavaria.
And key components for the European ARIANE launcher are made in Bavaria - like the solids boosters or the thrust chambers of all Ariane 5 liquid fuel rockets (Aestus and Vulcain). Bavarian enterprises boast a high level of competence in the fields of ceramics, flight control systems and solar panels. EADS-Astrium has just recently made an substantial investment in the development of an Ariane center and a solar center.

Attractive research environment for aerospace

A diversified research infrastructure provides excellent framework conditions for industrial aerospace in Bavaria. There are major research and testing facilities such as the German Aerospace Center (DLR) in Oberpfaffenhofen, the  Fraunhofer Gesellschaft in Nuremberg and Würzburg as well as the IABG in Ottobrunn.

In addition to these activities, the DLR in Oberpfaffenhofen was commissioned in March 2003 as Mission and Control Center for Columbus, the European laboratory of the International Space Station (ISS).

Scientists also carry out research in Bavaria at the Max-Planck-Institut for Extraterrestrial Physics and at the ESO (European Southern Observatory). The scientific and administrative center of the ESO is based in Garching.

Well-qualified workforce in aerospace disciplines

There is a key emphasis on higher educational training in Bavaria. There are four renowned training facilities in the State of Bavaria where young talent  can train in aerospace disciplines and profit from excellent learning conditions at  the Munich Technical University, the University of Erlangen, the University of the Bundeswehr Neubiberg and the  Munich University of Applied Sciences.

Optimum environment:

Bavarian airports provide a superb infrastructure for the globally networked aerospace industry. With the new addition of Terminal 2 at Munich Airport, the Nuremberg Airport as well as a number of regional airports, Bavaria provides optimum conditions for a fast and efficient transfer of goods and convenient travel.

Access to funding

In Bavaria the venture capital company Bayern Kapital Risikokapitalbeteiligungs GmbH supports national and international venture capital and private equity funds. The investment of private (lead) investors can then be tripled by Bayern Kapital and the tbg Technologie-Beteiligungs-Gesellschaft investing the same amount.

The Bavarian Development Bank (LfA Förderbank Bayern) provides special development assistance. Investments made by small and medium-sized commercial companies are eligible for support.

The bank group KfW Bankengruppe gives fresh impetus to the economy, society and ecology across the globe. With its long-term credits at reduced rates of interest the KfW promotes, for example, small and medium-sized businesses and start-ups. Beyond this, the group generates stimuli for innovation and the venture capital market. The KfW is not only responsible for investment financing  in Germany, but also provides export and project financing, along with consultancy and other services.

Aerospace locations in Bavaria

• Greater Munich area
• Augsburg / Schwabia
• Nuremberg

Information material