Aviation is known to be a particularly chilly environment for startups and entrepreneurs. Complex certification processes and heavy financial commitments for R&D are some of the reasons we see fewer founders in aerospace than in other industries.

This is a topic that Stephan Uhrenbacher is well acquainted with since the renowned serial founder and investor is currently setting up the Sustainable Aero Lab in Hamburg. He was thus a particularly interesting candidate for the first ZAL Innovation Talk of the year: Aerospace Startups 5 Years From Now! Discussing with him was Roland Gerhards, Managing Director of ZAL. He also provided exciting insights as the ZAL TechCenter offers its startups various opportunities for exchange and collaboration with aerospace companies.

In their interview, the two experts discussed some of the hottest topics within the fields of startups and aviation. For one, they addressed the role of startups in the industry’s goal of zero-emission flying, and whether we should be expecting new players with disruptive technologies. After all, long-established companies with large market shares dominate today’s aviation. Can startups even succeed in such an environment? “Of course!” said the interviewees. They agree that startups have a firm place in aviation – not least because bigger players also benefit from the new and innovative impulses provided by newcomers.