AERNNOVA COMPOSITES SA

Their core work

Aernnova Composites is the composite materials division of Aernnova Aerospace, a major Spanish aerostructures manufacturer based in Illescas (Toledo). They specialize in designing and producing advanced composite structures for aircraft — fuselages, wings, and other primary airframe components using thermoset resins (epoxy, polyester, vinylester). Their H2020 work centers on next-generation airframe development through Clean Sky 2, Europe's flagship aviation research programme, while a recent project explores bio-based recycling of composite waste using enzyme technologies.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Early H2020 participation (2014–2019) involved two Clean Sky 2 third-party contributions (GAM AIR 2018, LPA GAM 2018) with minimal keyword detail, suggesting standard airframe component supply. In the 2020–2024 period, their aviation work became more ambitious — covering eco-design, advanced cabin concepts, disruptive cockpit designs, and HLFC integration — while they also branched into bio-based composite recycling (BIZENTE). The trajectory shows a shift from pure manufacturing contribution toward sustainability and circular economy in composites.

Moving from traditional composite manufacturing toward eco-design and end-of-life solutions for thermoset plastics, positioning themselves at the intersection of aviation and circular economy.

How they like to work

Aernnova Composites operates almost exclusively as a third-party contributor (4 of 5 projects), which is characteristic of Tier 1 aerospace suppliers who provide specialized components within large Clean Sky 2 demonstration platforms led by aircraft OEMs. Their single participant role in BIZENTE suggests a growing appetite for more direct involvement in research consortia, particularly outside their core aviation domain. With 153 unique partners across 16 countries, their network is wide but largely inherited from the massive Clean Sky 2 consortia rather than self-built.

Connected to 153 unique partners across 16 countries, primarily through Clean Sky 2's large multi-partner demonstration platforms. Geographic reach spans most of Western and Central Europe, reflecting the pan-European aerospace supply chain.

What sets them apart

Aernnova Composites brings hands-on manufacturing capability in advanced composite aerostructures — not just research, but production-grade expertise from a company that actually builds aircraft parts at industrial scale. Their emerging work in enzymatic decomposition of thermoset composites (BIZENTE) is unusual for an aerospace manufacturer and signals genuine commitment to solving the composite waste problem that the entire aviation industry faces. For consortium builders, they offer the rare combination of industrial composite manufacturing know-how with a willingness to engage in upstream research on materials sustainability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GAM-2020-LPA
  Large Passenger Aircraft demonstrator covering HLFC, multifunctional fuselage, and wing design — the most technically ambitious of their Clean Sky 2 contributions.
• BIZENTE
  Their only non-aviation project — uses biological enzymes to break down thermoset composites, representing a strategic diversification into circular economy for plastics.
• GAM-2020-AIR
  Focused on eco-design and energy efficiency for next-generation aircraft and rotorcraft, reflecting the industry's push toward greener aviation.