ÉireComposites drives aviation drone manufacturing through funded collaboration

ÉireComposites, an Ireland-based aerospace composites manufacturer, has confirmed its role in the LIFT Project, Logistics Innovation for Flight Transport, funded through Ireland’s Disruptive Technologies Innovation Fund.

The aviation initiative is led by Irish drone company IONA and delivered in collaboration with Technological University Dublin via the CREST Technology Gateway.

The project addresses a critical aviation challenge: scaling and automating the production of lightweight, high-performance composite airframes capable of supporting routine drone flights, particularly in rural and hard-to-reach regions. Work begins in January, with a focus on industrialising drone manufacturing rather than experimental flight testing.

ÉireComposites will lead airframe development, applying its aerospace and space-grade composites expertise to reduce aircraft weight while maintaining structural integrity and operational safety. The programme also explores automated manufacturing processes designed to increase production volumes while delivering consistent, repeatable quality at scale, a key requirement for aviation certification and commercial deployment.

Tomas Flanagan, CEO of ÉireComposites, said: “Our involvement in the LIFT Project enables us to push the boundaries of what composite materials and automated manufacturing can achieve for drone logistics. Developing airframes that are lighter, stronger and optimised for real world operations is a complex challenge, but it is exactly the kind of challenge our team excels at. We look forward to bringing our aerospace and space sector expertise to this important national initiative.”

The LIFT Project builds on earlier collaboration between ÉireComposites and IONA and aims to deliver aviation-ready airframes that support drone-enabled supply chains. The programme is supported by the Department of Enterprise, Trade and Employment, Enterprise Ireland and the DTIF evaluation panel.

Get the full breakdown of the aviation programme behind Ireland’s drone manufacturing push by reading the complete story.