International Conference On Electric Airships - Challenges for Commercialization

10141
24.09.2025 – 26.09.2025
Jetzt anmelden / Register

Flexible thin-film solar cells, highly efficient power electronics, and lightweight batteries enable the construction of a new generation of airships. This includes drones, high altitude airships, and airships for cargo and passenger transport. In particular, airships can be used in the future for:

  • transport to remote areas
  • sustainable cargo transport
  • transport of heavy loads
  • sustainable passenger transport
  • monitoring and surveillance of e.g. pipelines, high power transmission lines
  • provision of telecom and internet connections
  • tourism transport, recreation, and sightseeing
  • humanitarian aid, disaster relief

Airship “Pathfinder 1”
- A proof-of-concept vehicle designed and manufactured by LTA Research 
- flies untethered at Moffett Field in Mountain View, California.
 


The conference covers technical aspects as well as applications and environmental aspects.

Conference Topics:

  • Construction and design of airships
  • Construction of low and high altitude drones
  • Sustainable aviation by airships
  • Power electronics and batteries for airships
  • Solar energy for airships
  • Application of airships
  • Usage of hydrogen as energy source and lifting gas
  • Certification, regulation and integration in existing aerospace
  • Infrastructure, ground handling of airships

Program Overview

Note: Childcare available upon request.

 Sept. 24th Sept. 25th Sept. 26th Sept. 27th 
7:45 a.m.
-
8:30 a.m.
 - Registration
Location:
Energie Campus Nürnberg
- Registration
Location:
Energie Campus
Nürnberg 
 
8:30 a.m.
-
6:00 p.m.
 - Conference, Lunch
- Poster Session
Location:
Energie Campus Nürnberg 
- Conference
- Discussions with lunch
- coffee breaks, snacks
Location:
Energie Campus
Nürnberg
- SPECIAL  Sightseeing at 10:30 a.m. with Prof. Thomas Weber "Nuremberg during World Wars of Disinformation and Demagoguery:
A Walking Tour of the Zeppelin Field"
7:00 p.m.
-
10:00 p.m.
- Registration and 
  Casual Welcome
  Meeting
Location: 
Adina Hotel, Dr. Kurt-Schumacher-Str. 1, Nürnberg
- Reception
Location:  
DB Museum, Lessingstr. 6, Nürnberg 
With: Bavarian Minister of the Interior Joachim Herrmann, Alexandra Mehnert, Member of European Parliament
- Conference Dinner
Location: 
Mautkeller, Hallplatz 2, Nürnberg 
 

 

Conference Agenda

The detailed program of the conference will follow.


Speakers and Topics
Abstract submission for presentations and posters is open

Invited Speakers:


Udo Berthold, MITEB, Germany 

  • Safety Aspects for Unmanned Airships

The principle of “lighter than air” generates a fundamentally different behavior of the aircraft with regard to risks on the ground and in the air. Making sensible use of the intrinsic safety advantages can open up new application potential, for example when flying beyond visual line of sight and over densely populated areas.


Bob Boyd, AT Squared Aerospace, USA


Martin Bocken, Co-Founder & CEO of Hylight, France

  • Small unmanned hydrogen airships for long range monitoring

Sylvain Allano, Flying Whales, France

  • Contribution of solar energy to the global Information-Energy system of a cargo airship

Although it is clear that solar cells placed on or in the envelope of a cargo airship could not alone meet the power requirements for hovering operations, recent progress made in solar textiles makes it possible to consider their use for specific functions within the airship. However, their impact on the thermodynamics of the airship will have to be taken into account, with the risk of uncontrolled heating of the helium cells.


Prof. Dr. Christoph Pflaum, Professorship for Computer Science, Friedrich-Alexander-Universität Erlangen-Nürnberg (FAU)

  • Route Optimization of Large Airships with Solar Cells

Route optimization of large airship is a difficult from algorithmic point of view. It has to include wind data, clouds, solar irradiance and  battery charge level. Simulation results and impact on travel time will be discussed.


Lei Zhou, AVIC , China


Bonnet-Eymard Bénédicte, CSEM Neuchâtel, Switzerland

  • Lightweight solar modules implementing advanced polymer materials and solar cells

With a decade of expertise in lightweight solar modules, CSEM has crafted specialized PV products for applications demanding minimal added weight and high power output with precise assessment, design, and installation for optimal integration. This talk will highlight past achievements and explore future possibilities.


Daniel Wibbing, Roboloon, Germany

  • Our Mission is to automate aerial inspections in a way that is cost effective, safe to operate, and sustainable for our environment!

Bentheimer, Christian , Fraunhofer IISB, Germany

  • Cryogenic Power Electronics and Superconducting Aircraft Powertrains

Superconducting technologies will be a key enabler for the electrification of future hydrogen-electric powered aircraft. It will lead to performance improvements of the propulsion system, translating into significant weight and fuel saving potential. The presentation gives an insight about the design basics and challenges of cryogenic powertrains.


Price information
(all prices incl. VAT)
Conference ticket includes meals and beverages during the day.

Regular Ticket Early Bird 300€ / Late Registration 380€
Student Ticket 50€
Welcome Meeting (Wednesday) 20€
Conference Dinner (Friday) 60€
Sightseeing (Saturday) 30€
Total Package (includes conference, dinner and sightseeing) 380€

Registration

Please register for the conference by clicking on the red “Register” button at the top right of this page.

Registration

Please confirm your participation in the following events.

If you are interested in giving a talk or presenting a poster, please click the options below.

We would like to take pictures and videos during the conference and publish them later on the EnCN website and social media channels. Please agree to this. If you do not wish to be recorded, please let the photographer know on site.


Timeline Registration:

a) Abstract submission: 
Date abstract submission:  start at: May 15th
End of abstract submission:July 15th
Publication of decision on talk/poster:     July 15th
b) Registration: 
Start early registration:   latest date: May 15th
End early registration:July 15th
End late registration:September 10th


Contact Information

Prof. Dr. Christoph Pflaum
Department of Computer Science
Professorship for Computer Science (Numerical Simulation using Highest-Performance Computers)

Phone number: +49 9131 85-28692
E-Mail: christoph.pflaum@fau.de



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