DGLR–SynTrac Symposium “Powering Future Aircraft – Integrated Development of Aircraft and Engines”
On 25 June 2026, the German Aerospace Society (DGLR) and the Collaborative Research Centre SynTrac TRR 364 jointly hosted the symposium “Powering Future Aircraft – Integrated Development of Aircraft and Engines” at the Haus der Wirtschaft in Stuttgart. The event brought together experts from academia and industry to discuss current challenges and innovative approaches in the integrated design of future aircraft and propulsion systems.
The symposium was opened with a series of welcome addresses by representatives from the hosting and supporting institutions, including the SynTrac Spokesperson Prof Sabine Langer, Dr. Gerhard Ebenhoch, Head of Aerospace Propulsion Division L5, German Aerospace Society (DGLR), Dr. Markus Fischer, Divisional Board Member for Aeronautics, German Aerospace Center (DLR) as well as Jennifer Staudenmeyer of the Ministry of Economic Affairs of Baden-Württemberg. The opening remarks emphasized the strategic relevance of integrated aircraft–propulsion research and the role of strong partnerships between academia, research institutions, and industry in advancing sustainable aviation technologies.
Photos: SynTrac
The symposium opened with a keynote by Dr. Reynard de Vries, Chief Engineer at Elysian Airlines, entitled “Distributed propulsion: a form of propulsion integration for the next generation of (hybrid) electric passenger aircraft.” His talk provided insights into industrial development approaches for future propulsion systems, building a bridge between research and application.
A further highlight was the presentation by Prof. Dr. Arvind Gangoli Rao, Professor of Sustainable Aircraft Propulsion at the Faculty of Aerospace Engineering, Delft University of Technology. In his contribution “Energy Transition in Aviation,” he placed current developments in aviation transformation into an international research context and discussed perspectives for sustainable propulsion technologies.
The remaining contributions were presented by doctoral researchers from the SynTrac TRR 364 research consortium. They provided insights into their ongoing work and highlighted key project progress. The focus was on recent results and methodological developments in integrated aircraft–propulsion system design:
- Challenges in aircraft aerodynamics (Alexander Tidow, Elrawy Soliman)
- Highly integrated aircraft concepts – analysis and assessment of losses using exergy-based approaches (Myles Zabel)
- Aerodynamic design requirements for highly integrated propulsion systems with boundary layer ingestion (Yiwen Yuan, Manuel Zeitler)
The scientific programme concluded with a presentation by Prof. Dr. Jan Delfs, SynTrac project leader and recognized expert in aeroacoustics. In his talk, he reflected on current findings regarding sound radiation and cabin acoustics in non-conventional propulsion integration concepts, thereby rounding off the scientific programme of the symposium.
Following the presentations, the audience engaged in a dedicated panel discussion with the experts, addressing key questions on the future of sustainable aviation propulsion and the importance of integrated aircraft–engine design.
Photos: SynTrac
Formats like this provide an important platform for exchange between academia and industry and drive the joint advancement of sustainable aviation concepts.
