GKN Aerospace Joins Forces With Start-ups in Aviation

GKN Fokker has initiated a campaign to engage with start-up companies. Giving way to new ideas, new technology and entrepreneurial spirit, by using GKN Fokker’ resources and experience in the aerospace industry, will help these start-ups to accelerate their development. The program is kicked off during the Hamburg Aircraft Interior Exposition (April 10-12, 2018), where GKN Fokker has opened its booth for three start-ups to co-present their products during the show. For both GKN Fokker as well as for the selected start-ups, this cooperation presents a great opportunity to grow, by using the creativity and agility of the start-ups combined with the profound knowledge and experience of GKN Fokker business to make things fly.

Late 2017 the selection procedure for the start-ups took place. Through its partners in the start-up community, HighTech XL in Eindhoven, StartupAmsterdam and KLM, GKN Fokker selected three companies to present their company at the Hamburg Aircraft Interior Exposition. The companies were selected based on their innovative product set, applicability of their products to the aviation market and the aircraft interior market in particular. As the Hamburg AIX event marks the first public announcement of the start-up engagement program for GKN Fokker, other events are also earmarked for similar activities, more focused on for example the MRO market.

After a thorough selection procedure, the following three start-ups are selected:

• Intoware - Workflow management tool
  Intoware has introduced the Workfloplus tool. The tool enables organizations to manage workflows such as MRO and installation tasks, in an efficient manner, by standardizing workflows and linking specialists through the use of a smartphone and tablet app, which enables time saving, risk reduction and continuous learning by data capture. (https://www.intoware.com/)
• Somnox – Sleeping robot
  In order to fight insomnia, Somnox developed a soft robot that breathes. This helps people to relax and fall asleep faster (https://www.somnox.nl/)
• AirGo – Innovative aircraft seat design
  AirGo seats employ state-of-the-art lightweight composite materials technologies and award-winning design techniques based on human-centric 3D scanning. The composite seats are up to 50% lighter than leading seats in the market.  (https://airgodesign.com/)

GKN Fokker will host a press conference at the AIX in Hamburg on Wednesday April 11th, at 14.00 hrs. to present these three start-up companies and their products. Please be invited to Booth #1UA30 to attend.