A new international funding call has opened for research and development projects focused on lightweighting, circular design, advanced materials and sustainable manufacturing, with aerospace among the sectors specifically identified as eligible.
The Transnational Eureka Lightweighting Call 2026 is open from 6 May 2026 to 8 October 2026. National funding procedures are expected to take place between December 2026 and March 2027, with approved projects expected to begin between February and June 2027.
The call has been launched under Eureka’s Network Projects framework by the Austrian Research Promotion Agency. Eureka is a public network for international cooperation in research and development and innovation, supporting collaborative, market-driven R&D projects across participating countries.
Participating countries include Austria, Belgium, Estonia, Germany, Lithuania, Poland, Slovakia, Spain, South Africa, South Korea and Türkiye. South Africa is participating through the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation.
The funding call is focused on lightweighting design and manufacturing, including safe-and-sustainable-by-design approaches, advanced materials, joining technologies, additive manufacturing, circular product design, lifecycle assessment, material tracking, digital twins and machine learning.
Although the call is open to a wide range of sectors, aerospace is specifically listed among the sectors where lightweighting technologies may be applied. Other sectors identified include automotive, railway, space, maritime, mechanical engineering, energy, construction, infrastructure, health, farming and forestry.
For the aviation sector, the opportunity is relevant to companies and research partners working on lighter aerospace components, alternative materials, improved manufacturing processes, recyclable assemblies, digital lifecycle tools and sustainable design approaches.
Weight reduction remains a central focus in aviation, where aircraft mass has a direct bearing on fuel consumption, operating efficiency, emissions and payload performance. The call’s focus on advanced lightweight materials and sustainable material substitution is therefore relevant to aerospace manufacturers, component suppliers, engineering firms, unmanned aircraft developers and research institutions.
The call may also be relevant to organisations working in maintenance, repair and overhaul, particularly where innovation is focused on repairability, reuse, recyclability, material tracking or lifecycle assessment. These areas are increasingly important as the aviation sector looks at sustainability across the full life of aircraft, components and support systems.
Digital technologies are another important theme. The call includes the use of digital twins, machine learning, lifecycle assessment and material tracking to optimise lightweighting design for circularity. In an aviation context, these tools could support component design, performance modelling, traceability, maintenance planning and lifecycle management.
Eligible projects must involve international cooperation and must be directed at researching or developing an innovative product, process or service with a commercialisation objective. Projects must have a civilian purpose and must include at least two independent legal entities from at least two participating Eureka call countries. No single organisation or country may be responsible for more than 70% of the project budget.
For South African applicants, the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation is offering grant funding of up to €150,000 per project, with each project subject to a financial negotiation process to determine the exact level of funding. Funding will be transferred in tranches in line with the project duration.
South African applicants are required to inform the national project coordinator of their intention to submit a proposal and share a project outline six weeks before submission. To be considered for national funding, applicants must also submit a national funding application form to the Department of Science, Technology and Innovation within seven days of the closing date of the call.
Funding is available to registered companies and SMEs as defined in South Africa. Science Councils and Higher Education Institutions are also eligible to participate where they are partners to SMEs. Projects are required to be SME-led, with priority given to SMEs and project teams that include black participants, women and young innovators or scientists.
Applications will be assessed against impact, excellence, implementation quality and overall perception. Evaluation criteria include market relevance, value creation, commercialisation plans, degree of innovation, technological maturity, risk, consortium quality, added value from international cooperation, project planning and cost structure.
For South Africa’s aviation and aerospace sector, the call could provide an entry point for SMEs, technology developers, universities and research organisations to participate in international R&D consortia focused on resource efficiency, emissions reduction, advanced manufacturing and circular design.
As aviation faces continued pressure to improve efficiency and reduce environmental impact, lightweighting remains one of the most practical areas for innovation. The opportunity extends beyond aircraft structures to include interiors, components, unmanned aircraft systems, support equipment, materials traceability and lifecycle management.
