Everything began with materials research. The DLR Institute of Structural Mechanics (now the Institute of Composite Structures and Adaptive Systems) developed what at that time was a brand new material in aircraft construction: carbon fibre-reinforced polymers (CFRP). Dornier seized upon DLR's idea for the engine cladding of the Dornier 328 jet and requested series production. The only problem was that the DLR laboratory did not have enough space for series production, nor is this within the mandate of DLR in its capacity as a research institution. However, in order to transform the institute's ideas into actual products, the three scientists involved at the DLR site in Braunschweig – Elmar Breitbach, Axel Herrmann and Holger Hanselka – decided to establish their own company: INVENT GmbH. Back then, just like today, DLR Technology Marketing supported the scientists in developing their institute-based research into technology applications and bringing their products to market – whether through licensing or the establishment of a company – and gave the founders plenty of advice and guidance during the pre-start-up phase. After all, unlike series production, technology transfer does fall within the remit and objectives of DLR. Indeed, for 11 years, there has been an internal HGF funding instrument specifically for business start-ups.
From scientific researcher to managing director
This concept proved its worth with the founding of INVENT GmbH in 1996. Following its establishment, with the three professors as the shareholders, Henning Wichmann, Managing Director of INVENT GmbH, and Chief Technology Officer Carsten Schöppinger built the firm up to what it is today. Wichmann was 27 years old at the time and had just finished his university studies. When he became Managing Director of INVENT, he was working as a student research assistant at DLR.
“At 27, you're young and just starting out in your career, so I took the risk. Had this opportunity come along later, when I had a family, I would probably have decided differently,” muses Wichmann. Initially, he and Schöppinger shared a 160-square-metre office in the centre of Braunschweig. They rented out DLR facilities to use for their production orders. “That's a very good example of how the collaboration between DLR and a company like INVENT GmbH works,” says Wichmann. “DLR conducts the basic research, while the company produces the goods and rounds out the ideas. In other words, the link between them is joint development.” DLR and INVENT GmbH have worked together closely ever since, through employee exchanges, orders and as a research partner as part of aviation research programmes.
“We’ve had some hair-raising times” Today around 100 employees work across the entire process chain for the manufacture of fibre composite components. From design to manufacture, and quality assurance to assembly, INVENT GmbH does everything under one roof. Since 2001, it has had its own office complex with a production plant in an industrial park in Braunschweig. Its order books are full for the next four years. Twenty engineers, 60 skilled technicians (15 of whom were trained at INVENT), six trainees, six final-year degree students and eight student assistants all take care of fulfilling the orders. “We’ve had some hair-raising times along the way, when things haven’t gone so smoothly,” says Wichmann. “When Dornier, our client for our first major effort at series production, went bankrupt shortly after we moved to a bigger building, that came as something of a shock.” But the company was able to find new clients quickly, so they were soon riding high again. Today, INVENT is a sought-after supplier not only among aircraft manufacturers, but also in the space industry. Most of their orders come off without a hitch.
“When we started out, we tended to have one flagship project. Now we have five at once.” Among other things, Wichmann attributes this to the success of one of his earlier flagship projects: the manufacture of the core module for the ExoMars probe in 2014. One of the company’s most recent projects is the complete production of a helicopter cabin for edm aerotec. Wichmann has never regretted his decision to take over the running of the newly founded company. Where does he see the company in 10 years? “INVENT will be one of the leading manufacturers of CFRP structures for satellites.”