Lufthansa Innovation Hub

Between 2023 and 2024, Travel & Mobility Tech startups have faced a dramatic increase in shutdowns—a trend that’s raising eyebrows across the industry. 🤨 In our latest analysis, our analysts Anna Schneider and Nour Hassan explore the reasons behind this surge, revealing that: Online Travel has been hit the hardest, with nearly 3% of startups shutting down—almost double the failure rate of other travel sectors. But why? From macroeconomic pressures to shifts in investor priorities, the reasons are multifaceted. ✈️ For airlines, the failures of online travel companies offer valuable lessons to learn from—success isn’t just about having a functional website. To stand out, airlines need to ask themselves: What truly sets your direct booking experience apart from the competition? 🤔 Read the full article for key recommendations on how airlines can innovate in this competitive landscape, and share your thoughts in the comments below! 🔗 https://lnkd.in/ez4RwtvK #TravelTech #OnlineTravel #StartupsGraveyard #Aviation

🛩️ 🤩 We visited the Airbus headquarters in Toulouse to discuss the next big steps in aviation. Yannick Marin Isambert, Jean-Francois Barrand, Jelto von Schuckmann, Iris SEJALON and Vincent C. kicked off the visit by taking us on an innovation deep dive into their disruptive research and technology efforts, offering a glimpse into how Airbus is shaping the future of aerospace. We enjoyed an insightful exchange on best practices and shared how we accelerate the Next in Travel at Lufthansa Innovation Hub.  🚀 From there, Andéol de Sainte Foy took us to the Customer Mockup Center to show the latest concepts and prototypes of cabin innovations. Later, Chamendra Amarasinghe and Michael Augello gave us a look behind the scenes at Airbus UpNext, its cutting-edge technology accelerator that pushes the boundaries of what is possible with amazing demonstrators. To round off our visit, we were given a tour through on the Final Assembly Line for the A350 and A350F. Walking through the production halls, we witnessed firsthand how the latest addition to the A350 family is taking shape. 🔧✨ A huge thank you to our hosts at Airbus for this insightful visit. We’re excited about the potential for future exchange and collaboration! 💚 Grzegorz (Greg) Ombach Ph.D Xavier Lagardere Dr. Ivan Terekhov Stefan Nothelfer Ole Bentzin #Airbus #Innovation #Aviation #Collaboration #FutureOfTravel #Partnerships

In aviation, not all innovations take off. Some soar. Others stall. But how can we tell the difference? 🤔 Remember the hype around blockchain airline tickets or the buzz about smart luggage with GPS tracking? Both trends grabbed headlines. Neither changed aviation. Meanwhile, some technologies are quietly advancing—while others get stuck in the hype cycle. Is electric aviation the future or just a niche? Can space travel go beyond billionaires? And why are hydrogen aircraft and airships still struggling to take off? Dr. Ivan Terekhov, Director Research & Intelligence at Lufthansa Innovation Hub, built a data-driven framework to cut through the hype—tracking which trends are making real progress and which are just talk. Which trends will shape aviation's future—and which won't? Check out the full analysis here: 🔗 https://lnkd.in/d4W8knCx

We’re thrilled to host our first-ever TNMT reader community event in Berlin! 🔥 You’ll find all the details on how to sign up in the latest edition of our bi-weekly TNMT newsletter—along with an in-depth analysis on distinguishing real innovation from mere hype in aviation. #TNMT #Research #Travel #Mobility #Tech #Aviation

The second day at ITB Berlin was just as eventful as the first one. A highlight for us: a big moment for our AI agent Swifty. 🤩 In his presentation on “Best Practices: How AI reshapes travel,” Olaf Backofen, Head of Global Retail Partnerships at Lufthansa Group, shared deeper insights into the various ways Lufthansa Group is already leveraging AI to drive innovation in the airline industry—and how strategic partnerships, for example with Google and Microsoft, play a key role in this process. One announcement made us especially happy: 💬 Lufthansa Group is testing conversational booking powered by Swifty on the Swiss International Air Lines website!  The pilot project will launch in March and is being conducted in selected markets as an A/B test. The goal is to leverage valuable insights to further develop and expand future AI-powered solutions for Lufthansa Group. 🧡 What is Swifty? Swifty goes beyond traditional AI-powered chatbots that assist with trip planning. It doesn’t just research and suggest options, but manages the entire journey from start to finish, including booking and payment. ❓ How does it work?  In addition to the traditional flight search, selected users will see the option to book their flight using AI when they visit the website. They will then be able to complete their flight booking through a conversational interface via chat or voice—starting with destination planning and receiving tailored recommendations. From there, the AI guides them seamlessly through destination selection, booking and payment—all within just a few messages. At Lufthansa Innovation Hub, we’re known for quickly developing, testing, and iterating innovative solutions. We’re excited that Lufthansa Group is looking into conversational booking and happy to support them together with Swifty. Accelerated at Lufthansa Innovation Hub, the startup allows them to test this technology fast, seamless and cost-effective. Stanislav Bondarenko Diane Ugiagbe Tomasz Przedmojski Sabine Verbeke Demis Rosano Tim Reif Karel Prokosch Jan Friedli #AI #GenAI #Booking #ConversationalBooking #ITB #ITB2025

💪 It’s great to be back at ITB Berlin! Tino Klaehne, Director of Strategic Innovation & Intelligence at Lufthansa Innovation Hub, kicked off the eTravel stage at the world’s biggest tourism fair. The travel landscape as we know it today is changing drastically. Emerging technologies, shifting customer behaviors, and new market players are reshaping the industry as we know it. In his opening keynote, Tino Klaehne explored what’s driving this change—diving deep into the Now, New, and Next of travel. 👀 Now Consumer technologies like Apple AirTags and eSIMs have quietly transformed travel, making passengers more self-sufficient. Travelers seamlessly integrate these tools into their journeys, maintaining their digital routines across different carriers and airports. As a result, travel is no longer an interruption but an extension of their connected lives. 🤩 New The industry often overestimates how quickly trends reach consumers. While AI Travel and Viral Travel dominate industry discussions for 2025, travel reports highlight Passion Travel (such as concert-driven trips or the White Lotus effect) and Mindful Travel (prioritizing slower, more intentional journeys that focus on and less crowded destinations) as key trends. This shows that technology alone doesn’t create value—it must first change traveler behavior. 🔥Next Tracking investment trends helps companies time technology adoption strategically. Rather than rushing to be first-to-market, businesses can define their own threshold for adoption, balancing risk and opportunity. The AR/VR/MR evolution in aviation reflects this—after years of experimentation, the Apple Vision Pro in 2024 marked the tipping point where cost, quality, and application finally aligned for widespread adoption. Thank you to everyone who joined—and to Lea Jordan for moderating the session! 💬 Are you joining ITB Berlin this year? What’s on your must-see list? Júlia Giné Baraldés Katharina Hiltensperger Clemens Jakubeit Stanislav Bondarenko Diane Ugiagbe Andrea Amara Siddhant Mehra #ITB #ITB2025 #Innovation #FutureofTravel #NextinTravel

💪 For the past five years, we've tracked every airline startup deal worldwide. In the latest issue of our bi-weekly TNMT newsletter, we’re back with an updated look at 2024, revealing where airlines are placing their bets on the future of travel and mobility tech. 👩💻 Plus, a quick note on our own behalf: Lufthansa Innovation Hub is currently looking for a Head of Venture Clienting! Check out the newsletter for more details. #Research #Travel #Mobility #Innovation #Investing #CorporateVentureCapital #Airlines

🔍 At Lufthansa Innovation Hub, we decode the next in travel by leveraging unconventional external data sources to uncover unique insights. Advanced tools like Quid help us unlock the full potential of data. In 2023, we set out to understand how consumer sentiment toward air travel has evolved over the past five years. To understand what bothers travelers the most—and how to fix it—we analyzed 15,000+ airline reviews on TripAdvisor. Quid's AI-driven natural language processing capabilities helped us analyze and quantify these traveler reviews to identify key patterns and shifts. Check out the video to hear more from Dr. Ivan Terekhov and Siddhant Mehra about how we leverage Quid for driving innovation! 💪 🎥 Watch it here: https://lnkd.in/e_-2qfGp Video credits: Quid #ConsumerSentiment #DataDriven #Innovation #TravelTech #NPL 

Today was Day 1 of the Innovation Roundtable® in Zurich and a great platform to exchange about our Lufthansa Innovation Hub approach to Accelerate the Next in travel: 🧠Decoding the Next with our unique #CRTX insights curation platform, 🚀Realizing the Next with our ventures portfolio, 🤝Enabling the Next with our unique learning formats, e.g. increasing #PsychologicalSafety to create a safe experimental culture. Thanks for being a great host Zurich Insurance and for the engaging discussion formats Axel Rosenø & the whole team. Aaron Levis Frank Lehmann Justinas Mišeikis Bengt Steinbrecher Bessem Ayari Kris Pawluk #innovation #ventureclienting #venturebuilding

☀ 😎 Saludos from Barcelona! Last week, our Partnerships team joined the Venture Client Roundtable hosted by SEAT CODE. Venture Clienting is the process of rapidly discovering, testing, and implementing innovative solutions by strategically partnering with startups. 🤝 The recent Venture Client Roundtable in Barcelona showed once again what makes the Venture Clienting community so valuable: open knowledge-sharing with like-minded peers who are pushing the boundaries of corporate innovation. We’re excited and inspired to turning the gained insights into action. 💪 💡 Scaling Venture Clienting requires strong internal networks. Create a network of innovation ambassadors, but don’t stop there—you need corporate influencers, key decision-makers, and that one person who can turn insights into action at the highest level. 💡 A strong Make-or-Buy Decision framework helps clarify when startups should be the go-to solution for corporate innovation challenges. By weighing factors like speed, cost, and expertise, companies can make informed choices that accelerate innovation. 💡 Mapping pain points enables us to navigate future Venture Clienting use cases effectively and scale impact. Identifying inefficiencies and unmet needs ensures startup collaborations address real challenges and drive measurable value. A huge thank you to Christian Hüttenhein and Tobias Gutmann for organizing and to the Volvo CampX team around Marc Bourgeois and Ronja Stoffregen (DB Schenker) for their invaluable contributions during the expert session. And of course, to SEAT CODE for hosting us in their incredible space, as well as to IESE Business School for providing a breathtaking backdrop to our discussions. 🤩 Ole Bentzin Stefan Nothelfer #VentureClienting #Startups #Partnerships #VentureClient