PIPISTREL DOO PODJETJE ZA PROIZVODNJO ZRACNIH PLOVIL

Their core work

Pipistrel is a Slovenian aircraft manufacturer specializing in electric and hybrid-electric light aircraft. They design, develop, and produce innovative aircraft with a strong focus on electric propulsion and low-noise flight technologies. In H2020, they contributed real-world aircraft engineering expertise to projects advancing electric flight, hybrid-electric propulsion architectures, and aircraft noise reduction. Their work bridges the gap between experimental aviation concepts and commercially viable electric aircraft.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

Pipistrel's H2020 trajectory shows a clear sharpening of focus. In 2015, they appeared in MIKELANGELO (a cloud/HPC project) likely as an industrial end-user for computational simulation, while simultaneously coordinating WATTsUP on electric flight. From 2017 onward, they concentrated entirely on aviation — hybrid-electric propulsion (MAHEPA) and aircraft noise reduction (ARTEM), signaling a deepening commitment to sustainable aviation technologies.

Pipistrel is moving firmly toward sustainable aviation — combining electric/hybrid propulsion with noise reduction — positioning them for the growing urban air mobility and green aviation markets.

How they like to work

Pipistrel operates primarily as a participant (3 of 4 projects) but demonstrated coordination capability with WATTsUP, their largest-funded project at EUR 1.87M. With 38 unique partners across 12 countries, they maintain a broad European network typical of an SME that contributes specialized aircraft engineering to larger consortia. Their dual involvement in MAHEPA (as both participant and third party) suggests they are a trusted technical partner that consortia bring in for specific aerospace expertise.

Pipistrel has collaborated with 38 unique partners across 12 countries, building a substantial European network for an SME. Their partnerships span the aviation and transport research community, with connections likely concentrated in Western and Central Europe.

What sets them apart

Pipistrel is one of very few European SMEs that actually manufactures electric aircraft — not just researching concepts but building and certifying real planes. This makes them an exceptionally valuable consortium partner: they bring production-ready engineering, not just laboratory results. For any project needing a credible path from research to flight-tested hardware, Pipistrel offers what few academic or large aerospace partners can — agile, end-to-end aircraft development capability.

Highlights from their portfolio

• WATTsUP
  Pipistrel's only coordinated project with EUR 1.88M funding, focused on electric flight — reflects their core business identity and ambition to lead in this space
• MAHEPA
  Involved as both participant and third party, indicating deep technical integration in hybrid-electric propulsion architecture development
• ARTEM
  Longest-running project (2017-2022) addressing aircraft noise reduction, expanding Pipistrel's profile beyond propulsion into environmental impact