Lighter composites for manufacturing aircraft parts are more in demand than ever: Airbus and AMSilk are now pulling together to produce a composite material made of bionic high-performance Biosteel® fiber. Aircraft manufacturers are constantly on the lookout for new materials because fuel consumption is an important cost factor for airlines. In addition, the carbon fiber composites already used are not particularly resilient. The aircraft manufacturer Airbus and AMSilk, based at the Innovation and Start-up-Centre for Biotechnology (IZB) in Munich, are now cooperating and want to set new standards in this field. Together they are working on a new composite material for use in the aerospace industry. This material is to be produced using Biosteel® fibre technology from AMSilk. AMSilk’s Biosteel® fiber is identical in molecular composition to spider silk, a material known for its strength, flexibility and robustness. We are excited to be working with Airbus, the world leader in performance airplanes, to create a fundamentally new material,” said Jens Klein, CEO of AMSilk. “At AMSilk, we are committed to producing materials that are both highperforming and sustainable, and the current partnership with Airbus is an opportunity to set a new, stronger and more sustainable course for the entire aerospace industry.” AMSilk’s technology is based on research by Thomas Scheibel, Professor of Biomaterials at the University of Bayreuth.