Fraunhofer Institute for Manufacturing Technology and Advanced Materials IFAM
Seminar / September 29, 2026 - September 30, 2026
Composite Repair Seminar & Experts Forum 2026
Further to the success of a similar event organized three years ago in Bremen, a new 2 days Composite Repair Seminar & Experts Forum will be organized in Hamburg.
The Seminar will be presenting the recent innovations and research results, as derived from the academic community, while providing practical application examples and demonstration with possibilities of hands-on experience to its participants in a 2-days course. It mainly targets composite repair engineers and technicians (working either in engineering, technical or training departments) of airlines and MROs, as well as PhD candidates and postgraduate students, with R&D interests in bonded composite repairs and potential employment outlook in the aeronautical industry.
During the Seminar, experienced industrial personnel, together with academic experts, will provide an insight of recent R&D developments and critical issues in the field of bonded composite repair, ensuring that seminar participants acquire a full “process understanding” and learn “innovative solutions”, to support reliable application of repairs, even on Class I (safety critical) structures.
Program
Day 1: Tuesday, September 29th, 2026
Session 1: The Future of Repairs in All–Composite Aircraft
| Time | Subject/Topic | Speaker/Presenter | Affiliation |
| 11:00-12:00 | Registration | ||
| 12:00-13:00 | Lunch Equipment Demo - Networking |
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| 13:00-13:30 | Official Welcome | Representatives Fraunhofer IFAM |
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| 13:30-14:15 | Digitalization of Aircraft Maintenance – Driving Composite Repairs in the Industry 4.0 era | Dr. George Kanterakis | Research & Innovation GMI Aero |
| 14:15-14:45 | Quality Assurance and FBG-based SHM for Aircraft Structures |
Andreas Krenz | Fraunhofer IFAM |
| 14:45-15:00 | Discussion with experts | Panel Discussion | |
| 15:15-16:00 | Coffee Break Equipment Demo - Networking |
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| 16:00-16:30 | Structural Health Monitoring for Bonded Composite Repairs |
Dr. Aggelos Christopoulos | Research & Innovation GMI Aero |
| 16:30-17:15 |
Key Note Speech
|
Alexander Zastrow, Roman Starikov | Airbus Operations GmbH |
| 17:15-17:30 | Discussion with experts | Panel Discussion | |
End of Day 1 of the Seminar |
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| 20:00 | Official Seminar Dinner Hosting All CRS&EF Participants | ||
Day 2: Wednesday, September 30th, 2026
Session 2: Certification–Standardization–Training and Research Activities
| Time | Subject/Topic | Speaker/Presenter | Affiliation |
| 9:00-9:15 | Repair technologies @ Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE | Dr. Simon Kothe | Head of Central Office AVIATION Fraunhofer AVIATION & SPACE |
| 9:15-9:45 | AI‑Driven Composite Repair: Practical Methods, Tools, and Use Cases | Jannes Adam / Hagen Dittmar | Fraunhofer IFAM / Laser Zentrum Hannover LZH |
| 9:45-10:15 | Thermal Transfer Issues Advanced Composite Repair Case studies | Mr. Konstantinos Kitsianos | Research & Innovation GMI Aero |
| 10:15-10:45 | Key Note Speech Composite Repair in Real-World Operations |
Andreas Meyer | Chief Instructor for Composites LHT Training |
| 10:45-11:00 | Discussion with experts | Panel Discussion | |
| 11:00-11:30 | Coffee Break Equipment Demo - Networking |
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| 11:30-12:00 | GENEX EU R&D Project Presentation | Dr. Dirk Holzhueter | DLR |
| 12:00-12:30 | TOSCA EU R&D Project Presentation | Dr. Christian Eitzinger | Profactor |
| 12:30-13:00 | Key Note Speech Aircraft Composite Repair: between Innovation and Regulation |
Tobias Adugna | Principal Engineer Composite Materials Lufthansa Technik AG
|
| 13:00-13:15 | Discussion with experts | Panel Discussion | |
| 13:15-14:00 | Lunch Equipment Demo - Networking |
Closing of workshop and visit of LHT Hamburg facilities
| Time | Subject/Topic | Speaker/Presenter | Affiliation |
| 14:00-14:15 | Closing Remarks | Organizers |
|
| 14:15-18:00 | Visit at Lufthansa Technik Repair Shop | Lufthansa Technik |
