JEC Composite Innovation Award

SAM XL is excited to share that the MultiFunctional Fuselage Demonstrator has won the JEC Composites Innovation Award in the ‘Aerospace Parts’ category!

This achievement is the result of a fantastic team effort, led by Airbus and supported by Aernnova Aerospace, Diehl Aviation, German Aerospace Center (DLR), Fraunhofer, FIDAMC, GKN Fokker, NLR – Netherlands Aerospace Centre, SAM XL, Delft University of Technology, Saab and many more.

A big thank you to everyone for their hard work and making this achievement possible, while advancing Europe’s competitiveness through innovative and sustainable solutions.

MFFD achievements

• World First: Developed an 8-meter thermoplastic fuselage barrel, a breakthrough in aerospace technology.
• Sustainability: Reduced fuselage weight by 1 tonne, improving fuel efficiency and using more recyclable materials for a greener aviation industry.
• Increased Production: Designed to raise fuselage production rates from 60 to 70-100 per month to meet growing global air travel demand.
• Innovation Support: Backed by €68 million in funding from the European Commission, resulting in 40+ technologies and 11 patents.
• Collaboration: Brought together 11 members and core partners in a shared effort, aligning with Airbus and partner R&T strategies.
• Wider impact: Shared innovations through over 110 dissemination activities and contributions to major conferences, benefiting the whole aerospace community.

SAM XL Achievements

• Robotic Pick and Place technology
• UltrasonicWelding of clips to skin and frame to clips

This project is a key part of the CleanSky2 Programme and reflects a strong commitment to making aviation more sustainable and efficient.
Thank you to JEC Group for organising this event and recognising outstanding work in Sustainable Aviation!

Want to know more?

• Watch the video of the achievements on the lower MFFD fuselage at our SAM XL facility
• Read more on the project called STUNNING.