LUFTHANSA TECHNIK AKTIENGESELLSCHAFT

Their core work

Lufthansa Technik is one of the world's largest independent providers of aircraft maintenance, repair, and overhaul (MRO) services, headquartered in Hamburg. In H2020, they focused on applying advanced materials — particularly graphene and nano-coatings — to aviation challenges like aerodynamic drag reduction and surface hardness. Their participation in the Graphene Flagship (Europe's largest research initiative on 2D materials) signals their role as an industrial end-user validating lab-developed materials for real aircraft applications.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Lufthansa Technik's early H2020 work (2018) combined nano-surface engineering with direct aviation applications — riblet coatings for drag reduction on engine compressors. From 2020 onward, their focus shifted decisively toward graphene and 2D materials within the Flagship ecosystem, moving from basic research participation (GrapheneCore2) to pilot line manufacturing (2D-EPL). This trajectory shows a company moving from consuming research results to actively shaping the industrialization of advanced materials for aerospace.

Lufthansa Technik is positioning itself as the aerospace industry's bridge between graphene research and certified aircraft applications, making them a prime partner for any 2D materials project needing an industrial validation environment.

How they like to work

Lufthansa Technik operates exclusively as a participant, never coordinating — consistent with a large industrial company that contributes application expertise and testing infrastructure rather than managing research agendas. With 228 unique partners across 21 countries, their network is vast, largely inherited from the massive Graphene Flagship consortia (150+ partners each). This means they are well-connected but their partnerships are consortium-driven rather than hand-picked, so approaching them requires a clear aviation use case to stand out.

Connected to 228 partners across 21 countries, primarily through the Graphene Flagship mega-consortium. Their network spans nearly all major European research nations, giving them broad reach but relationships concentrated in the advanced materials community.

What sets them apart

Lufthansa Technik brings something rare to research consortia: a globally operating MRO company with direct access to real aircraft, engine components, and aviation certification processes. While universities can develop nano-coatings or graphene composites in the lab, Lufthansa Technik can test them on actual turbofan engines and validate them against aviation safety standards. For any materials research project targeting aerospace applications, they offer the industrial credibility and testing infrastructure that turns a lab result into a market-ready product.

Highlights from their portfolio

• GrapheneCore3
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 2.2M) — indicates Lufthansa Technik had a substantial work package in the Graphene Flagship's third phase, likely leading aviation-specific graphene validation.
• 2D-EPL
  Represents the industrialization frontier — an experimental pilot line for 2D materials, signaling Lufthansa Technik's commitment to moving graphene from research into manufacturing-ready aerospace components.
• ReSiSTant
  Most application-specific project: nano-functionalized riblet surfaces for drag reduction on aircraft engines — a direct fuel-saving technology with clear commercial value.