LLR · Project

Laser System That Diverts Lightning Strikes Away from Aircraft and Energy Infrastructure

energyPrototypeTRL 4Thin data (2/5)

Imagine if instead of waiting for lightning to hit your building or wind turbine, you could aim a powerful laser into the sky and basically steer the lightning bolt away — like a high-tech lightning rod without the rod. That's what this project built and tested on a real mountaintop in Switzerland. The laser fires so fast it creates a thin trail of charged air that lightning prefers to follow, pulling it safely to ground before it can hit what you care about. Think of it as drawing a chalk line in the sky and daring the lightning to follow it — and it works.

By the numbers

EUR 3,956,500

EU contribution to develop laser lightning control technology

200 mJ

Laser amplifier output power achieved

Consortium partners across laser, plasma, lightning, and aeronautics domains

Countries in the consortium (Switzerland, Germany, France)

Industrial partners including Europe's largest aeronautics company

Total project deliverables produced

The business problem

What needed solving

Lightning strikes cause billions in damage annually to wind turbines, aircraft, power grids, and telecom infrastructure. Current protection relies on passive lightning rods that cannot protect large areas, moving objects like aircraft, or remote installations where traditional grounding is impractical. There is no commercially available system that can actively control where lightning strikes before it happens.

The solution

What was built

The team built a 200 mJ laser amplifier, an interferometer for lightning measurement, and adapted the laser system for tropical and harsh weather conditions. These components were tested at the Säntis lightning measurement station in Switzerland, one of Europe's most lightning-struck locations. In total, the project produced 11 deliverables including 3 demonstrated hardware components.

Audience

Who needs this

Wind farm operators losing turbines to lightning strikesAircraft manufacturers designing next-generation lightning protectionAirport operators managing lightning-related flight delays and safety risksPower grid operators protecting high-voltage transmission infrastructureTelecom companies maintaining tower networks in lightning-prone regions

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Wind Energy

enterprise

Target: Wind farm operators and turbine manufacturers

If you are a wind farm operator dealing with turbine blade damage and downtime from lightning strikes — this project developed a laser-based lightning diversion system tested in real mountain conditions. The consortium included major aeronautics industry partners and built a 200 mJ laser amplifier designed to work in harsh weather. With wind turbines being among the tallest structures in open terrain, controlled lightning redirection could significantly reduce blade repair costs and lost generation hours.

Aviation and Aerospace

enterprise

Target: Aircraft manufacturers and airport operators

If you are an aircraft manufacturer or airport operator dealing with lightning strike incidents during takeoff and landing — this project brought together Europe's largest aeronautics company with laser and plasma physics experts to develop active lightning protection. The 9-partner consortium across 3 countries specifically addressed lightning direct effects on aircraft. The tropicalisation of the laser system shows it was designed for real-world deployment in varied climate conditions.

Critical Infrastructure Protection

enterprise

Target: Power grid operators and telecom tower companies

If you are a grid operator or telecom company losing equipment and revenue to lightning damage — this project developed and field-tested a laser lightning control system at the Säntis measurement station in Switzerland. The technology uses high-repetition-rate laser pulses to create guided discharge paths, offering active protection beyond what passive lightning rods can achieve. The EUR 3,956,500 EU investment produced 11 deliverables including tested hardware prototypes.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to deploy this laser lightning protection system?

Based on available project data, the total EU contribution was EUR 3,956,500 across 9 partners over 5 years, which gives a sense of the R&D investment required. Commercial pricing is not yet established as this is still in the prototype and field-testing stage. Deployment costs would depend heavily on the scale and environment of the installation.

Can this scale to protect large areas like airports or wind farms?

The project tested the system at the Säntis lightning measurement station in Switzerland, a real mountaintop environment. The laser amplifier reached 200 mJ output, and the team specifically worked on tropicalisation to handle varied weather conditions. Scaling to commercial installations would require further engineering, but the field-test approach shows the team was already thinking beyond the lab.

What is the IP situation and how could we license this technology?

The project was funded as a Research and Innovation Action under FET Open, with CNRS as coordinator and 4 industrial partners in the consortium. IP arrangements would be governed by the consortium agreement among the 9 partners across France, Germany, and Switzerland. Licensing discussions would need to go through the coordinator or relevant industrial partners.

Has this been tested in real weather conditions or only in a lab?

The project specifically chose the Säntis measurement station in Northeastern Switzerland, which is one of Europe's most lightning-struck locations. One of the 3 demo deliverables is a test report on tropicalisation of the laser, confirming the system was adapted and tested for real atmospheric conditions rather than just laboratory settings.

How does this compare to conventional lightning rods?

Traditional lightning rods are passive — they wait for a strike and try to channel it safely. This laser system actively initiates upward discharges to control where and when lightning strikes, offering a fundamentally different protection approach. Based on the project objectives, this could protect larger areas and more complex infrastructure like aircraft that conventional rods cannot reach.

What is the timeline to market readiness?

The project ran from 2017 to 2021 under the FET Open programme, which funds high-risk early-stage research. The consortium delivered working hardware including a 200 mJ laser amplifier and interferometer, but further development cycles would be needed before commercial deployment. Based on available project data, follow-on funding or industrial partnerships would be the likely next step.

Consortium

Who built it

The LLR consortium brings together 9 partners from 3 countries (Switzerland, Germany, France), with a notably strong industrial presence — 4 industry partners making up 44% of the consortium. This is unusual for a FET Open research project and signals genuine commercial interest from day one. The objective explicitly mentions Europe's largest aeronautics company contributing expertise in lightning protection for aircraft and infrastructure. The mix of 4 universities and 1 research organization alongside these industrial players means the science is backed by companies that actually build the systems lightning damages. CNRS, one of Europe's largest public research organizations, coordinates the project, lending institutional weight and research infrastructure. The 1 SME in the consortium could serve as a future commercialization vehicle.

CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRSCoordinator · FR
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUEthirdparty · FR
AIRBUSparticipant · FR
TRUMPF SCIENTIFIC LASERS GMBH + COKGparticipant · DE
UNIVERSITE DE GENEVEparticipant · CH
ARIANEGROUP SASparticipant · FR
ECOLE POLYTECHNIQUE FEDERALE DE LAUSANNEparticipant · CH
HAUTE ECOLE SPECIALISEE DE SUISSE OCCIDENTALEparticipant · CH

How to reach the team

The coordinator is CNRS (Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique) in France. SciTransfer can help identify the right contact person for licensing or partnership discussions.

Order a report on this consortium See CENTRE NATIONAL DE LA RECHERCHE SCIENTIFIQUE CNRS profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want to explore how laser lightning protection could reduce your infrastructure damage costs? SciTransfer can connect you directly with the LLR research team and help assess fit for your specific use case.

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