Royal NLR is an applied research organisation that bridges the gap between fundamental research and practical applications, and works to create a better world for tomorrow.

To that end, NLR offers specific, innovative solutions and technical expertise, at, for instance, NLR’s state-of-the-art research infrastructure and field labs, simulators and wind tunnels. In the field of aerospace, NLR is the Dutch government and defence ministry’s strategic partner, works for SMEs and major international corporations, and cooperates closely with European and other international research institutions.

In the COMPASS project, NLR combines its knowledge, expertise, and technology with respect to cross-organisation secure collaboration among engineers at companies, component suppliers, research organisations, and academic institutes in the aerospace sector, with the application of state-of-the-art digital technologies and concepts, including digital twinning and digital threads, to support the development and application of digital component passports.

Digital passports are pivotal elements in collecting and using data throughout the life cycle of components, supporting the remanufacturing process aimed at giving components a second life without first converting them to raw material.