To reinvent the art of flying. That was Csaba Singer’s vision. It was to be safe, almost silent, sustainable, ecological and dynamic. An ambitious plan, because let’s face it: it is anything but easy to transform visions in the field of aeronautics and space travel successfully into reality. The first challenge was to find investors. This meant running the gauntlet of potential funding bodies – a task that, like the research, requires great dedication and patience.

And that’s before the development phase, patent applications or market launches have even been mentioned. And all that during a pandemic? Nigh on impossible. But not for Singer. With his tireless dedication and the backing of the state, he has shown once more that Baden-Württemberg does in fact offer ideal conditions as a location for the aerospace industry.

“Balloon-like flying objects during my studies just led me from one idea to the next.”

Just a few years later, the h-aero® product family of Hybrid-Airplane Technologies GmbH (HAT) were up and flying. The idea: to create flight systems powered by renewable energies to act as carrier systems for various different sensor applications. Their areas of application range from earth observation to the live broadcasting of sports events. “The drone collects data from the air with a streaming video camera, and delivers important information”, explains Singer. “Using different sensors, we can thus for example monitor agriculture, fires or environmental damage precisely. Bridges, tunnels, monuments – even whole industrial plants can also be examined right down to the last detail.” According to the inventor, there are no other unmanned aerial vehicles as small as the h-aeros® that can carry IT payloads weighing several kilos.

“One of the highest accolades for us was when we were allowed to present our product to NASA.”

His invention has already taken Singer all over the world. “We have now marketed our carrier systems on almost every continent”, he reports. Just recently, he visited Kenya with a drones delegation to present his flight concept for agricultural developments there. But the highlight of his career to date is undoubtedly the granting of the patents at the end of 2021 and the state of Baden Württemberg’s purchasing of options in the company. “It’s hard to imagine receiving more appreciation for an invention in the early stages”, Singer says.

“In Baden-Württemberg, start-ups have every chance of being successful.”

Singer certainly owes his success to his extraordinary know-how, his passion, and his flair for innovative technologies, not to mention his perseverance, of course. But all that is not enough, says Singer: “You need the right environment to be able to implement ideas. Without crowdinvestor, investors and the innovation vouchers of the state, it would have been difficult or even impossible to launch the h-aero on the world market.” The state of Baden-Württemberg has been issuing its innovation vouchers since 2008, to support small and medium-sized enterprises with the planning, development, implementation and further development of innovative products, services or production processes. And this has brought success, as Hybrid-Airplane Technologies GmbH shows.

“Anyone wishing to bring an idea to fruition needs a good, fertile breeding ground.”

Throughout the Covid pandemic, Hybrid-Airplane Technologies GmbH was also able to rely on support from the state of Baden-Württemberg. “The crisis was devastating for my company, too. We were suddenly no longer able to pursue our effective marketing strategy, which was to appear at events. But there too, we were given help in the form of the Pro-Tect subsidy by our private investor Stefan Klocke and the state, allowing us to plug the financial hole. It’s just great that something like that exists here,” says the CEO. Looking back, at the height of the pandemic, the state of Baden-Württemberg provided support to promising start-ups that had run into difficulties as a result of the pandemic, offering the now discontinued Pro-Tect subsidy to bridge temporary liquidity squeezes until the next round of funding.

As well as the German Mobility Award and the EU’s Copernicus Masters, the scientist and businessman has already been awarded the Dr. Rudolf Eberle Prize for Innovation of the state of Baden-Württemberg for his unique flight concept. This prize is awarded annually to small and medium-sized companies for outstanding developments and applications of new technologies. If he could turn the tables, Singer would give the state an award for their support and funding commitment. “I am happy and grateful that I live in a region that has facilitated the founding of my company and the marketing of my idea. Baden-Württemberg created the right conditions for the first phase of development of my company. I don’t know if it would have been the same anywhere else”, says the innovator from Hungary. And when he needs a break from all the technology, he spends his time enjoying the Black Forest, travelling, going out, cooking or playing chess.