The scalaria Science Lounge 2026

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On September 5, 2026, the scalaria Living Legends of Aviation Europe Awards will be presented at scalaria for the fifth time. But the day does not begin with a red carpet: from 11 a.m., the scalaria Science Lounge 2026 brings together those who are shaping how we will fly, travel, rescue and explore space tomorrow. A look into the future – and this year, for the first time, you can be part of it…

An accident at a location that cannot be reached by an ambulance. Steep terrain, no landing site for helicopters, the nearest hospital far away. The longer it takes to receive medical care, the lower the chances of survival.

In the near future, an unmanned drone could support rescue teams.

It is called “GRILLE”, is almost eight metres wide, flies fully electrically with twelve motors on six arms and carries one person. Without a crew. It is being built by AVILUS, and in April 2026, the German Armed Forces commissioned two test units. In St. Wolfgang, Niclas Bähr, CEO of the German manufacturer, will explain what is still needed to make this part of everyday life: drones as flying rescue vehicles, autonomous systems as a key to emergency medicine.

How quickly are we ready to learn from one another?

The major innovations of our time are increasingly emerging within more than one industry. They emerge where aerospace, mobility, energy, digitalisation and artificial intelligence begin to connect their knowledge. This is precisely where the scalaria Science Lounge comes in, which has been consistently developed further since its premiere in 2019, while remaining true to its original idea. At its centre are technologies, decisions and experiences that have an impact far beyond their original application. Space exploration has demonstrated this impressively: many things that are taken for granted today were originally developed for extreme requirements in space. The Science Lounge aims to highlight precisely these spin-offs.

Moderated by Annabelle Mandeng, international entrepreneurs, developers, scientists and visionaries come together – she opens the day and leads the panel talk. Participants include FACC, Airbus Helicopters, Rocket Factory Augsburg, the European Space Agency, AirMobility by Embraer, AVILUS, Klein Vision, companies from the field of Aviation Digitalisation as well as NXT Technologies from Salzburg, which plays a major role in shaping the content of the Science Lounge. The network is complemented by international technology partners, astronauts and the World Brands of the Global Living Legends of Aviation.

“With the Science Lounge, we have found a format that brings people together. This is where the future is thought about, and where the course is also set for the steps towards implementation.” – Humberto Schenk, scalaria

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Helicopter or aircraft – the best of both worlds

Johannes Plaum, Chief Developer at Airbus Helicopters, brings the “RACER”: a helicopter without a tail rotor. Two propellers mounted on the sides provide additional power, enabling the “RACER” to achieve a cruising speed more than 50% higher and significantly better efficiency.

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As a major Austrian partner, FACC appears together with AirMobility and Brazilian aircraft manufacturer Embraer. The eVTOL “EVE” by Air Mobility will be presented: electrically powered vertical take-off and landing, designed for those journeys that are currently too far for a taxi and too short for an aircraft. Lightweight construction, series production, Urban Air Mobility – three terms behind which jobs at FACC in Upper Austria stand.

“Legends are not created by chance. They are created by people who move forward when others are still weighing their options. The Living Legends at Lake Wolfgang bring precisely these people together – for five years now. FACC has been there from the very beginning. And this year, too, we are not coming alone.” – Robert Machtlinger, CEO FACC

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Eve 100: Experience the future of urban air mobility up close

Visitors can experience Eve’s eVTOL up close as part of an immersive, realistic flight experience. Developed by Eve Air Mobility, the fully electric and emission-free Eve 100 aircraft is characterised by a consistently human-centred design. The focus is on the safety of passengers and pilots, accessibility and comfort, while keeping noise levels for the surrounding environment as low as possible.

Eight rotors specifically designed for lift and a single thrust propeller provide a robust and particularly safe flight concept. In the so-called “Lift-plus-Cruise” architecture, separate rotors handle vertical take-off and landing, while fixed wings enable efficient forward flight. No components have to change their position during flight.

The aircraft is designed for routes of around 85 kilometres. At the time of its planned entry into service, it will accommodate four passengers and one pilot. In a future autonomous configuration, the capacity is to be increased to up to six passengers.

Initially, the aircraft will be operated with a pilot, but it has already been designed for later unmanned operation. Innovative technologies enable lightweight construction and efficient series production and thus make an important contribution to the development of urban air mobility. At the same time, this creates qualified jobs at FACC in Upper Austria.

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When car and aircraft merge

Stefan Klein and Anton Zajac demonstrate how two worlds can merge. Their AirCar transforms from a road vehicle into an aircraft within a few minutes – a patented transformation mechanism that, after more than 200 take-offs and landings, has received airworthiness certification in Slovakia. Stefan Klein, inventor and CTO, has been working on this idea for decades and will be honoured for his technical achievements as a Living Legend as part of the Living Legends Award Gala at scalaria. A model showing the transformation will be on display at the Science Lounge at scalaria.

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What Europe is bringing into orbit

Dr. Stefan Brieschenk, Co-Founder and COO of Rocket Factory Augsburg, is bringing an original mock-up of a rocket engine. RFA’s innovation is also based on the approach of producing rockets in series in the future, as is done today in the automotive industry, so that European satellite launches become affordable.

Two other names on the guest list of the scalaria Living Legends of Aviation are Daniel Metzler of Isar Aerospace and Fatih Ozmen of Sierra Nevada Corporation, both of whom have their own answers to this question.

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PIONEERING INNOVATION – Developing a new Archetype

The theme of the day deliberately puts the experiences behind the innovations at the centre. After a short welcome round, the speakers will discuss together – about highs and setbacks on their own journey towards a shared goal.

Which decision would you make differently today? Which failure turned out to be the greatest step forward in hindsight? How do you develop a completely new archetype when there is no model to follow? Because those who share experiences accelerate innovation – across company and industry boundaries. Afterwards, the developments can be experienced hands-on in the Science Lounge Experience Corner.

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And who flies all of this?

At the end of each of these developments, there is not a device, but a person. Someone who brings the helicopter into the valley in poor visibility. Someone who monitors the rescue drone during its operation. Anyone pursuing a career in aviation will find the shortest connection to it in the afternoon in the public area on the lakeside promenade in St. Wolfgang: the Austrian Armed Forces and Aviation Police will be available at information stands to answer questions about pilot training. And not only in theory – shortly afterwards, visitors will see above the lake what they have just been hearing about.

At the “Flying Emotions” air show, the Flying Bulls, RedBull Blanix, the RedBull Skydive Team with Peter Salzmann and world record holder Dario Costa will demonstrate their skills. The Austrian Air Force will present the new Leonardo AW169M, while the Aviation Police, together with COBRA, will demonstrate modern rescue and security operations. Rarely are a profession and proof of that profession so close together.

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A final picture

In the morning, people talk about aircraft in which no one is sitting. In the afternoon, people sit in aircraft and show why they are still needed. In the evening, those who have followed this path throughout their lives are honoured.

In between, the suspicion arises that the future of aviation is not an idea, but a decision. Perhaps the decision of someone who looks up for the first time that afternoon.

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Science Lounge Experience: Tickets available

The Science Lounge Experience on Saturday, September 5, 2026, costs 250 euros per person. Included are access to the Science Lounge, the Science Lounge Experience Corner, the “Flying Emotions” air demonstrations on the lakeside promenade, welcome finger food and drinks, as well as networking with speakers, companies and international guests.

Registration at: https://scalaria.com/living-legends-of-aviation#science-lounge

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