Austria’s aerospace companies fulfil an important role as specialist suppliers to international aircraft manufacturers and space technology corporations, and as innovative suppliers of small aircraft and piston engines and space-based services and products.
More than fifty Austrian companies are currently active in the aerospace industry, the majority of whom are organised into two associations – the Austrian Aeronautics Industries Group (AAI), with 36 members, and Austrospace, with 19 members, who actively lobby and work to strengthen Austrian leadership in technological niches.
Austria’s aerospace companies offer a wide range of products and services such as metal and plastic components and systems for major civilian aircraft manufacturers, the manufacture of inspection systems, innovative solutions for air traffic control, training and education, and particularly the production of small aircraft and aircraft engines for civil aviation. Austria is even developing and manufacturing an unmanned helicopter. The Airbus 380 incorporates a wide variety of high-technology products manufactured in Austria.
The range of Austrian space technologies includes materials and components for space transportation systems including cryogenic fuel lines for the European launching rocket Ariane 5, engine positioning mechanisms, system parts for temperature control, hardware and software for signal processing on board satellites, satellite mechanisms, insulation for the thermal protection of satellites, software systems for satellite operation and the fully automatic monitoring of signal quality, and innovative satellite communications systems. Austria is also involved in developing novel rocket fuels, materials for the lightweight construction of future space transportation systems, testing and monitoring systems for satellites, and the use and evaluation of remote sensing data. Space technologies open up new growth markets for multi-media applications, broadband communications, satellite-based Earth observation and navigation. Approximately 10 manufacturing companies and 20 scientific institutes are involved in international research and development projects in this high-technology sector.