Sustainable Materials By Mélanie Prince, Head of Innovation, F/LIST.

F/LIST provides exclusive interiors for business jets, yachts and residences and prides itself on the passion, quality, and visionary spirit that drives pioneering product development.

Since inception, sustainability has underscored its approach to business. In a series of new columns, experts from F/LIST explain how sustainability goes beyond the surface of everything the company accomplishes. This month we hear about Product Sustainability from Mélanie Prince, Head of Innovation.

The F stands for more than Fuel.

When most people think about sustainability and reduced carbon footprint in an aviation context, they think of fuel, especially with the aerospace industry collectively navigating a pathway to a carbon-neutral future by 2050.

It is a bold ambition with discussions around sustainability dominated by talk of electric, hydrogen and hybrid propulsion programs, as well as sustainable aviation fuel (SAF), which is available now, although supply is still limited.

At F/LIST, we’ve taken sustainability out of the fuel tank and into the cabin. We have combined years of heritage, knowledge and craftsmanship with contemporary technology, new materials, and cross-industry knowledge sharing to satisfy the increased demand by OEMs and owners for lightweight, high-performing, eco-friendly concepts.

The eclectic mix of experts on our innovation team includes carbon fiber technology professionals from the F1 sector, jewelry designers and architects, amongst others. To enhance the passenger experience and disrupt the interiors sector, we need to dream a little bit and change the status quo. We collaborate to define novel, environmentally friendly concepts that will add inherent value to the customer experience and the asset itself. The result is intriguing; stylish yet functional materials that illustrate sustainability does not mean compromise in the cabin.

For us, the F stands for fabulous as we reimagine the norm by introducing novel sustainable materials. We debuted them at the NBAA-BACE convention in October to much acclaim. The genesis of the materials came from our imaginative team, which created never-before-seen cabin concepts to enable designers to do more with less. These seemingly impossible technological F/LIST Shapeshifter innovations are redefining the cabins of the future, and needed materials that would complement the functionality, so we created a suite of bio-based materials that ensured form could meet function.

Each material is sustainable and has been specified to deliver tangible advantages in terms of weight, durability, and function while simultaneously adding elegance and beauty without compromising quality or cost.

F/LIST AENIGMA was the first product originating from F/LIST’s multi-disciplinary team and is aptly named. The stretchy, decorative material fuses traditional jewelry techniques, aerospace technology and cutting-edge chemistry to combine elements as varied as F/LIST stone by-products and ground mother-of-pearl button fragments, remnants from Austrian traditional costume tailors. Metallic manta ray skin, absorbing parametric design, and glistening surfaces form the basis of the limitless range of customizable possibilities for use on any surface in the cabin.

A new type of flexible textile produced from plant-based raw materials, F/LIST WHISPER LEATHER, is thin, lightweight, and durable. The textured, tactile surface is available in customized colours and can be used on sidewalls, bulkheads or seats. For those daring to be different art, using plant-based compounds can be transferred onto the surface to make a dramatic statement.

The F/LIST LINFINIUM range is chameleon-like. The linseed-based compound can be flexible and immovable, with applications ranging from fixed countertops to flexible monuments. The compound can also incorporate various materials or other elements in any desired palette.

By combining the bio-based materials with the magic of the F/LIST Shapeshifter concepts, fixed characteristics of wood, stone and metal are liberated to facilitate the transformation from one form and purpose to another.

We want to inspire, initiate a paradigm shift, and simultaneously liberate the imagination while providing practical, tangible solutions. We are committed to sustainability and continue to promise innovation as we manufacture tangible and pragmatic materials that support the sustainability narrative. We want to work with our customers to achieve our goal of creating environmentally friendly products that meet and exceed expectations, last longer and effectively handcraft the future.

BlueSky Business Aviation News | 8th December 2022 | Issue #681