The higher education network and highly innovative research and development facilities make a major contribution to Baden- Württemberg‟s worldwide reputation within the aerospace sector.

The state of Baden-Württemberg can draw upon many internationally renown research and development facilities in the various disciplines of the aerospace industry.

At its site in Stuttgart, the German Centre for Aerospace (DLR) with its five research institutes focuses on the topics of space travel, air travel, energy and traffic. A further DLR site at Lampoldshausen in Hardthausen was founded by the space travel pioneer Professor Eugen Sänger and focuses on the planing, erection and operation of test rigs for spacecraft propulsion systems on behalf of the European Space Agency (ESA) and in collaboration with the European space industry.

The centre of the Baden-Württemberg aerospace industry is in Stuttgart. Around 80% of all research facilities relevant to aerospace are located in this regional capital. In addition to the aerospace engineering and geodesics faculty at the University of Stuttgart, several institutes of the German Centre for Space and Air Travel and the materials testing institute of the University of Stuttgart are represented in Stuttgart.

The Max-Planck Institute for metal research carries out pioneering work at its site in Stuttgart, particularly in respect of high-performance ceramics which can be used in space and air travel, amongst other applications.