AERNNOVA AEROSPACE SA

Their core work

Aernnova is a major Spanish aerospace structures manufacturer headquartered in Vitoria-Gasteiz, specializing in the design and production of aircraft aerostructures — wings, fuselages, empennages, and related components — for large passenger aircraft and rotorcraft. In H2020 they contributed advanced composite manufacturing, airframe integration, and lightweight structural design across Clean Sky 2 and Shift2Rail programmes. They also bring expertise in robotic automation for composite machining and circular economy approaches to fibre-reinforced material reuse.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In their early H2020 period (2014–2018), Aernnova engaged in workforce development through the DIRS doctoral training programme and explored circular economy models for composite reuse via FiberEUse, alongside their core large aircraft work. From 2019 onward, their focus sharpened decisively toward advanced airframe demonstration (GAM-2020-LPA, GAM-2020-AIR), rail vehicle subsystem engineering (PIVOT2), and robotic composite machining (FIBREMACH). The trajectory shows a company moving from broad participation — including education and sustainability — toward concentrated, higher-TRL industrial demonstration in aerospace and transport structures.

Aernnova is concentrating on large-scale aerospace demonstrator platforms and robotic automation for composite manufacturing, signalling readiness for next-generation aircraft structure programmes.

How they like to work

Aernnova operates exclusively as a participant or third party — they have never coordinated an H2020 project, which is typical for a large industrial company that contributes manufacturing expertise rather than driving research agendas. With 249 unique consortium partners across 23 countries, they are well-connected across European aerospace and transport networks. Their repeated involvement in Clean Sky 2 and Shift2Rail Joint Undertaking projects suggests they are a trusted industrial partner for large-scale EU technology demonstration programmes.

Aernnova has collaborated with 249 distinct partners across 23 countries, reflecting deep integration into Europe's aerospace and rail supply chain networks. Their partnerships span Clean Sky 2 and Shift2Rail consortia, connecting them to major OEMs, research centres, and Tier-1 suppliers continent-wide.

What sets them apart

Aernnova is one of very few European companies with simultaneous deep expertise in both aerospace aerostructures and rail vehicle structures — a rare dual-transport capability rooted in advanced composite manufacturing. Their EUR 24.7M in H2020 funding places them among the most substantially invested private aerospace companies in the programme. For consortium builders, they offer production-grade manufacturing capacity combined with R&D capability in composite automation and circular material flows — a partner who can take concepts from demonstrator to production line.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GAM-2020-LPA
  Their largest single project (EUR 9.2M) focused on an innovative large passenger aircraft demonstrator platform including multifunctional fuselage and advanced wing design.
• LPA GAM 2018
  Their first and second-largest project (EUR 8.9M) in the Clean Sky 2 Large Passenger Aircraft programme, establishing their core aerospace demonstrator role.
• FIBREMACH
  Combines robotic automation with occupational health — tackling carcinogenic composite dust exposure while improving machining competitiveness, showing Aernnova's push toward safer automated manufacturing.