Aviation at the HIS 2025: Innovation, made in Hamburg

At the Hamburg Innovation Summit 2025, Hamburg Aviation was part of a strong joint presentation by Hamburg’s industry clusters in the Collaboration Lab – with more than 2,000 visitors and a prominent guest: Hamburg’s First Mayor, Dr. Peter Tschentscher.

A particular highlight was the presentation of the KLIMAready project during a panel discussion. This cross-industry initiative brings together seven Hamburg-based clusters – including Hamburg Aviation – with the goal of supporting companies in their energy transformation and response to climate-related challenges through data-driven analysis, innovative measures, and close collaboration. The project aims to harness synergies to develop sustainable solutions and make the Hamburg region more climate-resilient and future-ready.

Beyond the stage, the exhibits in the Lab also impressed: the ZAL Center for Applied Aeronautical Research showcased a hydrogen-powered drone – a remarkable example of zero-emission propulsion for urban mobility and a glimpse into the future of aviation.

The Windrove drone network attended this year's Hamburg Innovation Summit as a visitor and took the opportunity to look at the bigger picture. In dialogue with innovative minds from a wide range of industries, the team gained exciting insights into pioneering projects, technologies and business models from Hamburg. Even though the topic of drones was only marginally represented - for example by the ZAL hydrogen drone on display - the HHIS provided valuable inspiration for the team's own work at the interface of technology, urban development and mobility. Formats such as the HHIS impressively demonstrate how diverse and dynamic the innovation ecosystem of the Hanseatic city is - and how important interdisciplinary dialogue is for the further development of urban technologies.

Juliet Weischedel, Sustainability Manager, Hamburg Aviation: “The aviation industry is one of Hamburg’s strongest drivers of innovation – with companies alone investing around €470 million annually in research and development. With KLIMAready, we want to leverage this innovative strength to foster cross-sector collaboration and accelerate progress toward Hamburg’s climate goals. The Hamburg Innovation Summit is a valuable platform in this process – bringing together companies, researchers, and public stakeholders, and creating space for new partnerships and fresh ideas.”