„We're living examples of Europe's freedom of movement“
View of the Meetingroom at esploro spaces: Often used in ECOMAT, Photo: esploro spaces
How can research knowledge be applied in industry? This is a very pertinent question, especially in the aviation, in which endeavours to become sustainable as quickly as possible are being driven by the EU's "European Green Deal". The company esploro projects GmbH has the answers. Based at ECOMAT, it is a highly specialised consortium partner for some of the EU's flagship research projects.
A 15 percent reduction in fuel consumption, compared to current state of the art: that's the ambitious goal that the EU's UP Wing (Ultra Performance Wing) research project has set itself as a contribution to the overall aircraft level targets. Starting in 2023, 30 partners from all over Europe have been working together on this project, which will run until 2026. They are developing two different wing configurations: one designed for aircraft that use SAF (Sustainable Aviation Fuel) and one for hydrogen-fuelled propulsion. The EU is providing 38 million Euros of financial support for the project. In Bremen, the partners involved include the BIAS Institute and the University of Bremen.
Esploro projects GmbH is also one of the key players. The Bremen-based company coordinates the "Dissemination, Communication and Exploitation" activities performed by the UP Wing project consortium. As a consortium partner and subcontractor, esploro projects GmbH also advises and manages EU projects in this sector with the aim of achieving sustainable air travel (referred to as "Clean Aviation"). "We provide support for funded projects at every stage, from the very start, through the proposal and contract negotiation phases, during the project itself and right at the end with closure", stated the company's founder, Carsten Dörgeloh. "Contract and project management are two of our main areas of expertise." The company was able to design and implement these disciplines very successfully in the recently completed "Large Passenger Aircraft" project in the Clean Sky 2 programme, for example.
The company's nine-strong workforce is currently involved with projects that have attracted more than 300 million Euros of funding, with partners in 16 European countries.
Making knowledge accessible to everyone
The dissemination, communication and exploitation of knowledge are some of the key tasks in these projects. Communication involves raising awareness of EU projects in the scientific community and broader general public alike by, for example, using videos or traditional media outlets and having a strong social media presence. Dissemination and exploitation also play central roles in EU projects. In this context, "dissemination" means making knowledge public and easily accessible. Instead of being put in a metaphorical drawer, new discoveries and research findings should be used by as many companies and institutions as possible. Indeed it is an obligation that the use of public money should result in knowledge being made available to the public. "Generating knowledge also involves disseminating it for scientific purposes during the project or after it ends. This is also one of the issues we are working on", continued Dörgeloh.
In contrast, "exploitation" is the process of making use of new discoveries so that new products such as the new wing configurations can be created. EU support for projects extends to what is known as Technological Readiness Level 6 (in other words, up to the stage at which prototypes are deployed in their operational environment). After that, companies and joint projects have to bring their innovations to market "under their own steam", as it were.
The clarification of ownership and usage rights is a central element of the tasks involved in exploitation. After all, when a funded project involves several dozen partners, there will always be a range of different aims and interests. This is where esploro helps the consortia negotiate who will be able to continue using particular information, and to what extent.
Work flexibly in ECOMAT - part of the esploro spaces coworking offer, Photo: esploro spaces
"Trust, connectivity and reliability are our watchwords", stated Dörgeloh, to sum up the ethos at esploro projects GmbH. The company has an excellent network of contacts throughout the EU and has access to everyone who is anyone in aviation industry and research. The consortia that come together to work on new EU funded programmes value the expertise of esploro projects GmbH, which is why the company is chosen as a partner for consortium, contract and project management.
"An application for EU funding usually runs to 500 pages. It includes, among other things, the technical requirements, stated aims, the anticipated impact of the project and the expectations of the various stakeholders, both inside and outside the EU", continued Dörgeloh. It is exactly here that his company's strengths come into play in moderating and formalising a diversity of technical and administrative challenges and finding common ground for the various different stakeholder aspirations.
The embodiment of the European idea
The esploro team works at sites in Bremen, Hamburg and Toulouse, cities which are European aviation industry hotspots. "I see this as living proof of the European ideal. Although our workplaces are far apart, we are closely connected with both each other and our partners, working to solve the challenges of sustainable aviation. These research projects clearly show how well Europe works and the benefits that this type of cooperation brings to us all. We are living this European ideal of freedom and working together for the right cause", stated Carsten Dörgeloh. In this respect, diversity is another critical aspect of the company's growth. The current esploro projects GmbH team includes people of different ages, genders, educational backgrounds, nationalities and languages. Not content with its three existing sites, the company has definite plans to have representatives and establish a presence in other locations across Europe.
Modern office equipment in coworking space, Photo: esploro spaces
esploro spaces GmbH brings the ECOMAT community together
In addition to its networking activities at European level, esploro has also been active in bringing the aviation community in Bremen closer together: since mid-2022 esploro spaces GmbH , a sister company to esploro projects GmbH, has been providing the ECOMAT Center for Eco-efficient Materials and Technologies with its own provider for a co-working space. At 12 long-term and 9 short-term workspaces, organisations from every part of the European aviation and aerospace sector can now rent space to work together on projects. It's not only the modern all-inclusive workspaces but also the proximity to other ECOMAT tenants, such as Airbus, the German Aerospace Centre (DLR), Fraunhofer-Gesellschaft and TESTIA, that makes this site so attractive. And that's not all. There is also a prestigious meeting room, fully equipped with the latest IT equipment and a catering service, and also a cafeteria which has become a popular meeting place for the ECOMAT community.
The companies and external partners at ECOMAT also often hold workshops in these premises. In addition, the esploro spaces GmbH team is actively engaged in networking the individual co-working tenants with each other, and with ECOMAT itself, by running pitching events and get-togethers. One of the recent newcomers is the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), by having an office at esploro spaces GmbH in Bremen, it is bringing the Dutch and North German aviation industries closer together.
In good hands, right from the start
Bremeninvest (WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH) has supported esploro projects GmbH and esploro spaces GmbH with their relocation and corporate services from their earliest days at ECOMAT. "We've always found that targeted support extremely useful. It has helped us set up at ECOMAT and build the foundations for our success", said Dörgeloh, praising the way things are organised at the Bremen research centre. As both the owner of the building and the co-ordinating body, Bremeninvest will continue to keep a close eye on developments at the site.
The esploro team can look to the future with confidence. The company aims to grow and diversify its efforts by becoming involved in new projects. In Bremen, this includes consulting work involving life cycle assessments for the aviation industry. To achieve this, the team is always on the look-out for new recruits, in-part because it also builds up its own expertise through, for example, Master’s theses produced during projects. "Engaging with a diversity of cultures and ways of working, and our involvement at European level – these are what make our work so exciting", said Dörgeloh, in conclusion.
More article:
