Overview
Date: 4 March 2026 (signed by Prof. Jaroslaw Sep, 10 March 2026 by Kacper Konopka) Partner: Politechnika Rzeszowska im. Ignacego Lukasiewicza Signatory: Prof. Jaroslaw Sep, Vice-Rector for Development and Cooperation Scope: Joint research in aircraft end-of-life material processing
Partnership Scope
The Letter of Intent establishes a framework for collaboration between LastLanding and Politechnika Rzeszowska across four research areas:
1. Composite Material Characterization
Modern aircraft increasingly use carbon fiber reinforced polymers (CFRP) and glass fiber composites. Current dismantling operators treat composites largely as waste — they lack the tools and methodology to characterize, sort, and valorize these materials.
Our joint research will develop methods for identifying, testing, and classifying composite materials recovered during dismantling — creating the foundation for a composite recycling pathway that doesn’t exist in Central Europe.
2. Sorting Procedure Development
Aircraft dismantling generates dozens of material streams: aluminum alloys (2024, 7075), titanium, steel, Inconel, composites, wiring (copper/aluminum), hazardous materials (Skydrol, fuel, glycol), and electronics.
PRz’s materials science laboratories will help develop standardized sorting procedures — ensuring each material stream is properly identified, separated, and directed to the highest-value recovery pathway.
3. Dismantling Process Optimization
Moving from artisanal teardown to systematic process. PRz’s engineering faculty will contribute to formalizing the dismantling workflow — tool selection, sequence optimization, safety protocols, and quality documentation standards.
4. Joint Grant Applications
The partnership enables collaborative applications to EU and Polish funding programs, including:
- EU LIFE Programme — Circular economy pilot for aircraft end-of-life
- PARP Sciezka SMART — R&D + implementation for innovative processes
- Horizon Europe — Collaborative research with international partners
Significance
Politechnika Rzeszowska is Poland’s leading aerospace engineering university, located in the heart of Aviation Valley — Europe’s largest aerospace cluster outside Western Europe. The partnership provides LastLanding with:
- Laboratory access for material testing and characterization
- Academic credibility for grant applications and industry partnerships
- Research capability in composite materials — our key technical differentiator
- Talent pipeline for future hiring as operations scale
This is the first academic partnership for aircraft dismantling research in Central and Eastern Europe.