Technology & Innovation
Scalable Carbon Nanotube Fibers Achieve High Conductivity in Spain
Spanish researchers create ultralight carbon nanotube fibers with 41% copper conductivity, promising aerospace and EV wiring applications.
This article is based on an official press release from the IMDEA Materials Institute and a peer-reviewed study published in Science. This article summarizes publicly available elements and public remarks.
Breakthrough in Ultralight Carbon Nanotube Fibers Promises to Reshape Aerospace and EV Wiring
Researchers in Spain have achieved a major materials science breakthrough by developing a scalable manufacturing process for carbon nanotube (CNT) fibers that rival the electrical conductivity of traditional metals at a fraction of the weight. Published in the journal Science on April 23, 2026, the study outlines a novel chemical doping method that increases the electrical conductivity of carbon nanotubes by a factor of 17.
Led by the IMDEA Materials Institute in Madrid, the research was conducted in collaboration with the Instituto de Nanociencia y Materiales de Aragón (INMA), the University of Zaragoza, Universidad Autónoma de Madrid, and Universidad Politécnica de Madrid. According to the official press release, the resulting material achieves a conductivity of up to 24.5 megasiemens per meter (MS/m) at room temperature. While this represents approximately 41 percent of the absolute conductivity of copper, the new CNT fibers are roughly six times lighter.
For industries constrained by the weight of traditional electrical wiring, such as aerospace, drone manufacturing, and electric vehicle (EV) production, this development paves the way for ultra-lightweight, high-strength alternatives to copper and aluminum.
The Science Behind the Breakthrough
Intercalation Doping Explained
Carbon nanotubes, which are essentially rolled-up sheets of graphene, possess excellent theoretical electron mobility. However, according to the research team, their practical conductivity has historically been limited by a low number of free charge carriers. To overcome this hurdle, the scientists utilized a process known as intercalation doping.
The researchers exposed commercially available, highly aligned double-walled carbon nanotube fibers to a gas containing tetrachloroaluminate (AlCl₄⁻) and excess chlorine for a period of 24 hours. The AlCl₄⁻ ions diffused into the interstitial channels between the nanotube walls, rather than entering their hollow cores. Because of the concentric arrangement of the nanotubes, these gaps are large enough to accommodate the dopant without distorting the underlying carbon structure.
“AlCl₄⁻ provides a large doping effect without increasing weight excessively, compared to other dopants we have studied,” explained lead author Ana Inés de Isidro Gómez.
This dopant acts as a noncovalent electron acceptor, drastically increasing the number of free charge carriers and boosting the material’s conductivity 17-fold without compromising its mechanical integrity.
Industry Impact and Applications
Aerospace and Electric Vehicles
Reducing the weight of electrical wiring remains a critical bottleneck in modern engineering. Heavy copper wiring limits the range of electric vehicles and reduces the payload capacity of aircraft. By replacing heavy copper harnesses with ultralight CNT fibers, manufacturers could significantly extend battery ranges and improve overall vehicle efficiency. In the aerospace and drone sectors, every gram saved in wiring translates directly to longer flight times and reduced energy consumption.
“This is the first time that researchers have produced results with CNT fibres demonstrating sufficient performance… to offer a realistic industrial alternative,” stated Dr. Juan José Vilatela, Principal Investigator at IMDEA Materials.
Power Distribution
Beyond transportation, the high strength-to-weight ratio of the new fibers makes them highly attractive for power grid infrastructure. According to the published data, the doped CNT fibers are up to five times stronger than conventional overhead power cables, which are currently limited by the sheer weight of the metal lines they must support.
Current Limitations and Future Challenges
Moisture and Heat Sensitivities
While the breakthrough is significant, the research team acknowledges current limitations that must be addressed before widespread commercialization. The doped fibers exhibit instability when exposed to humid air. However, the researchers demonstrated that when protected by a standard commercial polymer cable sheath, the fibers successfully retained 80 percent of their conductivity over a five-day testing period. Improving long-term environmental stability remains the team’s next major objective.
Additionally, independent experts have pointed out potential thermal challenges. James Elliott, a researcher at the University of Cambridge, noted that dopants in such systems can sometimes degrade or dissipate if the cable heats up significantly during high-power transmission.
“It’s a brilliant result – it’s very exciting from lots of application points of view,” remarked independent expert James Elliott.
AirPro News analysis
We observe that the true commercial value of this breakthrough lies in the metric of “specific conductivity”, the ratio of a material’s conductivity to its density. While copper remains more conductive in absolute terms (~60 MS/m compared to the CNT fiber’s 24.5 MS/m), copper is exceptionally heavy. The new CNT fibers reach a specific conductivity of 17,345 Siemens-meter squared per kilogram, exceeding both copper and aluminum. For the aviation and EV sectors, where weight is the primary enemy of efficiency, a material that conducts electricity better than copper on a per-pound basis is effectively a “holy grail.” If the IMDEA team can solve the moisture and thermal degradation issues, this technology could fundamentally alter how electrical harnesses are engineered over the next decade.
Frequently Asked Questions (FAQ)
What is specific conductivity?
Specific conductivity measures how well a material conducts electricity relative to its weight (conductivity divided by density). A material with high specific conductivity is ideal for applications where keeping weight low is just as important as transmitting power efficiently.
Why replace copper wiring?
Copper is an excellent conductor but is very heavy. In electric vehicles and aircraft, the weight of copper wiring harnesses drains batteries faster and burns more fuel. Lighter alternatives allow for longer ranges and higher payload capacities.
Are these carbon nanotube fibers ready for commercial use?
Not yet. While the manufacturing process is scalable, the fibers currently lose some conductivity when exposed to moisture or high heat. Researchers are working on protective sheathing and stabilization techniques to make them viable for long-term industrial use.
Sources: Science (DOI: 10.1126/science.aeb0673), IMDEA Materials Institute Press Release
Photo Credit: IMDEA Materials Institute
Technology & Innovation
ePlane Company Secures Five Partnerships for e200X eVTOL
The ePlane Company announced five aerospace supply chain partnerships at Farnborough 2026 to advance e200X certification.
India-based electric Vertical Takeoff and Landing (eVTOL) developer The ePlane Company has secured five strategic manufacturing and technology Partnerships to support the industrialization and Certification of its e200X aircraft.
Announced in a press release during the Farnborough International Airshow (FIA 2026), the agreements cover critical systems ranging from Avionics and composite structures to medical interiors. The supply chain expansion follows the recent unveiling of the company’s full-scale PT-01 prototype at its 60,000-square-foot facility in Chennai, positioning the Manufacturers for targeted certified test flights by mid-2027.
Building the e200X supply chain
To transition the e200X from prototype to a certifiable production aircraft, The ePlane Company formalized agreements with specialized aerospace suppliers to provide core components and systems:
- SASMOS HET Technologies: Supplying Electrical Wiring Interconnection Systems (EWIS) to support the aircraft’s high-voltage architecture.
- HENSOLDT Avionics: Providing flight deck and navigation systems.
- Azista Composites Private Limited: Manufacturing lightweight composite aerostructures.
- Ankit Aerospace Private Limited: Supplying aerospace-grade fasteners and hardware.
- AMS Heli Design: Developing specialized medical interiors.
“These partnerships reflect the strength and depth of the ecosystem we’re building around the e200X. From wiring and fasteners to avionics, composites, and interiors, each of these relationships strengthens our path toward a certifiable, Made-in-India electric aircraft,” stated Prof. Satya Chakravarthy, Founder and CTO of The ePlane Company.
Chakravarthy added that selecting established technology partners is a fundamental requirement for developing a certifiable aircraft, specifically noting that SASMOS brings necessary expertise in EWIS integration as the program progresses toward commercialization.
Technical specifications and medical applications
The e200X is designed as a compact passenger and cargo eVTOL aircraft. According to technical specifications provided by the manufacturer, the aircraft features a maximum gross weight of 2,200 kg and utilizes an 800V electric powertrain. It is engineered for an operational range of 110 km on a single charge, with a cruising speed of 160 km/h. The cabin accommodates a 200 kg payload, configured for one pilot and two passengers.
The partnership with AMS Heli Design directly supports The ePlane Company’s parallel initiative to develop an electric air ambulance network. On July 23, 2026, the manufacturer signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) with Apollo Hospitals Enterprise Limited to integrate the e200X into India’s emergency healthcare system, targeting reduced response times for critical care transport.
Certification pathway and prototype validation
The ePlane Company is currently the first private aerospace entity in India to hold a formal Design Organisation Approval (DOA) from the Directorate General of Civil Aviation (DGCA) for electric aircraft. The e200X is also the first eVTOL accepted into the DGCA’s official type certification pipeline.
Prior to the Farnborough announcements, the company unveiled the PT-01, a full-scale prototype featuring a carbon fiber airframe and NVIDIA IGX Thor compute architecture. The aircraft is currently undergoing ground testing.
Chakravarthy noted that the PT-01 transitions the program from subscale testing to full-scale validation, building on flight trials of the company’s e50 heavy-lift drone which validated the scaling data now being applied to the passenger aircraft.
AirPro News analysis
We view The ePlane Company’s Farnborough announcements as a necessary maturation step for India’s domestic Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector. While unveiling a prototype demonstrates engineering capability, securing established aerospace suppliers like HENSOLDT and SASMOS indicates a shift toward the rigorous realities of DGCA type certification. The specific inclusion of AMS Heli Design for medical interiors also suggests a pragmatic early-use case. Air ambulance operations often provide a more viable initial revenue stream for eVTOL operators than urban air taxi services, given the higher tolerance for operational costs in emergency medical transport.
Sources: The ePlane Company via PR Newswire
Photo Credit: The ePlane Company
Technology & Innovation
Honeywell and Shield AI Partner on Certifiable Autonomy Stack
Honeywell Aerospace and Shield AI signed an MoU at Farnborough 2026 to develop a certifiable autonomy software stack.
Honeywell Aerospace and Shield AI signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 22, 2026, at the Farnborough International Airshow to develop a certifiable autonomy software stack for defense and commercial aircraft.
Announced in a joint press release, the collaboration targets a primary hurdle in uncrewed and autonomous aviation: regulatory Certification. By integrating Honeywell’s certified aerospace hardware with Shield AI’s mission autonomy Software, the companies intend to create a standardized foundation that eliminates the need to rebuild and recertify trust architectures for every new aircraft platform.
Integrating Anthem Avionics with Hivemind autonomy
The agreement centers on pairing the Honeywell Anthem avionics, navigation, and sensing portfolio with the Shield AI Hivemind Software Development Kit (SDK). Hivemind provides artificial intelligence-piloted flight capabilities, while Anthem supplies the design-assured hardware foundation required by aviation regulators.
This combined architecture is designed to support both defense and commercial applications, allowing operators to deploy autonomous systems across various uncrewed aircraft platforms without engineering bespoke hardware solutions for each vehicle.
“Honeywell Aerospace’s certified avionics, navigation, and sensing systems paired with Hivemind, which delivers mission autonomy for intelligent, collaborative operations, create a trusted foundation for AI-piloted flight,” said Gary Steele, Chief Executive Officer of Shield AI. “This collaboration reflects how the aerospace and defense ecosystem is evolving, bringing the best of autonomy and certified hardware to address transportation and national security challenges.”
Addressing the certification bottleneck
The aerospace industry faces persistent challenges in certifying artificial intelligence and machine learning systems. Regulators require strict design assurance before allowing autonomous systems to operate in shared airspace or complex military environments.
Honeywell Aerospace (Nasdaq: HONA) aims to bridge this gap by providing the certified hardware layer that regulators already recognize, enabling Shield AI’s software to operate within an approved safety envelope.
“Autonomy software can fly an aircraft, but trust has to be engineered into the architecture, not bolted on after,” said Matt Milas, President of Defense & Space at Honeywell Aerospace. “Our role is to build the certified, design-assured foundation that lets a warfighter, a regulator and a fleet operator all trust the same platform. That’s the layer we bring to this collaboration, the one that turns intelligence like Hivemind into something that can be deployed safely and at scale anywhere in the world.”
AirPro News analysis
The partnership between Honeywell and Shield AI highlights a critical maturation point
Photo Credit: Honeywell Aerospace
Technology & Innovation
Vertical Aerospace Signs eVTOL MoU for Portugal Resort
Vertical Aerospace and VIC Properties sign an MoU to evaluate Valo eVTOL services at the Pinheirinho estate in Comporta, Portugal.
UK-based manufacturer Vertical Aerospace and Portuguese real estate developer VIC Properties signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on July 27, 2026, to evaluate the integration of electric air mobility services at the 400-hectare Pinheirinho estate in Comporta, Portugal.
The agreement, announced in a joint press release, initiates site and infrastructure planning to establish the luxury resort destination as a test case for regional Electric Vertical Take-Off and Landing (eVTOL) transport. The partnership aims to connect major transit hubs, such as Lisbon, directly to the coastal estate, which will house the Six Senses Comporta resort.
Infrastructure and resort integration
VIC Properties, which manages €3 billion in assets and was established in 2018, is developing the Pinheirinho estate with a focus on luxury hospitality. The MoU outlines a framework to assess the physical and operational requirements for hosting Vertical Aerospace’s piloted, four-passenger Valo aircraft on the property.
João Cabaça, Co-founder and Chief Executive Officer of VIC Properties, stated that the estate is being developed to create a new benchmark for luxury hospitality on the Atlantic coast.
“A partnership with Vertical, a recognised pioneer in this emerging sector, is a natural extension of that ambition, as we truly believe that air mobility will shape the experience, the reach and connectivity of next-generation destinations such as Pinheirinho Comporta,” Cabaça said.
Vertical Aerospace expands operational footprint
The Portuguese agreement follows a series of regulatory and developmental milestones for Vertical Aerospace throughout July 2026. The manufacturer recently concluded its participation at the Farnborough International Airshow, where it conducted the first public demonstrations of the Valo eVTOL.
Vertical Aerospace currently holds approximately 1,500 pre-orders for the Valo aircraft across four continents. The company has secured commitments from commercial operators and lessors including American Airlines (AA), Japan Airlines (JL), GOL Linhas Aéreas (G3), Bristow Group, and Avolon.
Recent regulatory and funding milestones
Beyond the MoU with VIC Properties, Vertical Aerospace announced a strategic regulatory collaboration on July 22, 2026, with Saudi Arabia’s General Authority of Civil Aviation (GACA) to advance certification frameworks. The day prior, the UK government announced a £3.4 million backing for the ECLiPSE programme, led by Vertical Aerospace, to develop next-generation charging and thermal management technologies. The company also joined Honeywell Aerospace’s Project VERTI-GO, an EU-funded initiative focused on safely integrating eVTOL aircraft into European airspace.
Stuart Simpson, Chief Executive Officer of Vertical Aerospace, emphasized the role of the Valo in transforming regional transit for premium markets.
“The most exceptional destinations deserve an equally exceptional way to arrive. Vertical is creating a safer, cleaner, and quieter way to travel that is quicker, simpler and more enjoyable. This partnership is about understanding how a new category of air travel can integrate into the future of resort living and luxury hospitality,” Simpson noted.
AirPro News analysis
We view the partnership between Vertical Aerospace and VIC Properties as a strategic alignment of advanced air mobility with high-net-worth consumer markets. By targeting luxury resort destinations like the Pinheirinho estate, eVTOL manufacturers can establish early use cases where the premium cost of early-stage electric air travel aligns with customer expectations and willingness to pay.
Connecting a major international gateway like Lisbon directly to a coastal resort bypasses traditional ground infrastructure bottlenecks, providing a tangible value proposition for the Valo aircraft. Furthermore, Vertical Aerospace’s concurrent push for regulatory alignment in Europe and the Middle East suggests a deliberate strategy to secure operational footholds in regions heavily invested in luxury tourism and next-generation infrastructure.
Sources: Business Wire, Vertical Aerospace
Photo Credit: Vertical Aerospace
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