ATLAS Cluster: Advancing Next-Generation Aircraft through Materials, Manufacturing and Digital Innovation
The ATLAS (Advanced Technologies for Lightweight Aerostructures and Sustainability) Cluster brings together five Horizon Europe-funded projects under the topic HORIZON-CL5-2024-D5-01-08, forming a coordinated effort to accelerate innovation in aircraft materials, manufacturing processes, and certification methodologies.
Created in response to a shared challenge within the European aviation ecosystem, the cluster fosters collaboration, knowledge exchange, and alignment across complementary research initiatives.
A shared vision for the future of aviation
As the aviation sector moves toward climate neutrality, it faces increasing demands for lighter, stronger, and more sustainable materials, alongside faster and more reliable certification pathways. The ATLAS Cluster addresses these challenges by combining expertise in advanced materials, digital modelling, process optimisation, and testing frameworks. Together, the five HE-funded projects work toward a common goal: to enable safer, more efficient, and more sustainable aircraft through integrated digital and physical innovation across the entire development lifecycle. By aligning methodologies and sharing insights, the cluster strengthens the impact of each individual project while contributing to a more cohesive European research landscape.
The Projects
CompSTLar
CompSTLar focuses on advancing the design, manufacturing, and validation of next-generation composite structures for aeronautical applications. The project targets key challenges associated with composite materials, including structural integrity, durability under operational loads, and lifecycle performance.
A central objective of CompSTLar is to develop innovative structural concepts and manufacturing approaches that enable mores sustainable and lighter yet more resilient aircraft components. This includes work on thermoplastic material architectures, joining techniques, repair processes, integrated sensors and damage tolerance strategies. The project also integrates advanced simulation and testing methodologies to better predict structural behaviour under real operating conditions.
By improving confidence in composite performance and enabling more efficient design processes, CompSTLar contributes to reducing aircraft weight, lowering fuel consumption, and supporting the broader sustainability goals of the aviation sector.
PLEIADES
The main focus of the PLEIADES project is to promote the further development of composite materials for aircraft structures. Due to the changing market environment and increasing demands on the aviation industry, there is—and will continue to be—a significant rise in demand for advanced materials in aircraft manufacturing that are lightweight and capable of withstanding harsh environmental conditions, ultimately leading to improved aircraft performance and cost savings.
The PLEIADES project aims to address these needs, making significant steps towards meeting the industry’s requirements through its proposed solution. PLEIADES brings together different disciplines and key technologies that will contribute to advancing further composite aerostructures and promote the digital transformation in aviation.
PLEIADES multiple disciplines extend across a wide variety, such as formulations and characterization of new composite materials, automation of induction welding processes for composites leveraging integrated sensing, disassembly of composites joints, healing and maintenance schedules. These will be complemented by the development of passive PIC based multi-sensors, the development of a unified quality assurance (QA) – structural health monitoring (SHM) methodology, the extensive modelling for induction welding and the development of material, healing, damage propagation, and de-icing models.
TOSCA
TOSCA addresses the critical role of manufacturing in delivering high-performance aeronautical components. The project focuses on enhancing process understanding, monitoring, and control to ensure consistent quality and improved efficiency in the production of composite parts made from vitrimer resin.
The project develops and applies data-driven and physics-based approaches to analyse how variations in process parameters affect final component properties. This includes the integration of sensors, real-time monitoring systems, and predictive models to detect and mitigate defects during manufacturing.
TOSCA also works on optimising process chains, ensuring that manufacturing steps are better aligned and more robust against variability. By increasing repeatability and reducing waste, the project contributes to more sustainable and cost-effective production systems.
Ultimately, TOSCA strengthens the link between design and manufacturing, enabling the reliable industrialisation of innovative materials and technologies for next-generation aircraft.
HyperMorpH
HyperMorpH aims to develop the next generation of hybrid-electric, hydrogen-powered aircraft propulsion systems by integrating cryogenically cooled hyperconducting motors with advanced morphing composite structures. Leveraging liquid hydrogen for cooling, the project enables ultra-light, high-power-density motors built from thermoplastic-based composites optimized for extreme thermal and electromagnetic environments. These motors will be integrated into an aero-optimized airframe featuring morphing intake structures that adapt geometry to airflow conditions, enhancing efficiency and mitigating fan blade loading.
Morphing technology in HyperMorpH couples aerodynamics and propulsion to improve boundary layer ingestion, reduce drag, and optimize load control. Development relies on simulation and data-driven methods validated through extensive testing. Three demonstrators will showcase the innovations: a lab-scale hyperconducting motor (“motorette”), an aircraft section with morphing intake and rotor tip casing in thermoplastic composites, and a tail mock-up integrating a BLI propulsor, composite structures, and intelligent actuators targeting TRL4 validation for ultra-efficient hydrogen propulsion.
pAIramid
pAIramid develops an integrated digital framework to transform how materials and manufacturing processes are qualified and certified in the aviation sector. The project brings together modelling, simulation, and experimental validation into a unified approach that supports faster and more reliable decision-making.
A key innovation within pAIramid is its suite of digital tools designed to simulate material behaviour and process outcomes under a wide range of conditions. These include assessments of mechanical performance, thermal properties, and electromagnetic behaviour, as well as the evaluation of how variations in manufacturing processes impact final component quality.
The project also focuses on enabling virtual certification pathways, where digital evidence complements or partially replaces traditional testing. By linking component-level simulations with system-level validation scenarios, pAIramid helps bridge the gap between design, manufacturing, and certification.
Through this approach, pAIramid aims to significantly reduce the time and cost associated with qualification processes, while maintaining high safety standards and supporting the adoption of innovative materials and manufacturing techniques.
Strength through collaboration
The ATLAS Cluster exemplifies the value of coordinated research in tackling complex, system-level challenges. By connecting projects that span materials science, manufacturing, digitalisation, and propulsion, the cluster creates synergies that extend beyond individual outcomes.
Through joint activities, shared dissemination efforts, and continuous knowledge exchange, ATLAS contributes to:
- Faster innovation cycles in aircraft development
- Improved certification methodologies
- Reduced environmental impact across the aviation lifecycle
- Stronger alignment within the European research community
The complementary nature of the cluster’s projects collectively addresses the full innovation chain of next-generation aircraft development. Ranging from advanced material design (CompSTLar) to manufacturing optimisation (TOSCA), digital engineering and certification (PLEIADES and pAIramid), and future propulsion systems (HyperMorpH), the cluster forms a coherent ecosystem bridging traditionally fragmented domains, unlocking new opportunities for insight, mutual support, and innovation.
By aligning their approaches, the projects enable a continuous digital thread linking design, manufacturing, testing, and certification. This integrated perspective not only reduces development time and cost but also increases confidence in the adoption of disruptive technologies. Through these synergies, the ATLAS Cluster accelerates the transition toward a more sustainable, efficient, and innovation-driven European aviation sector, ensuring that advancements in one domain can be effectively translated and amplified across the entire value chain.