From aluminium cut parts to intelligent production: BIKAR AEROSPACE recognized as a Hidden Champion of Thuringia

The requirements for industrial material supply are changing rapidly. Today, simply making material available is no longer enough. Precision, digital process integration, automated manufacturing, and absolute supply reliability have become the decisive factors. For delivering exactly these capabilities, BIKAR AEROSPACE GmbH was honored as a Thuringian Hidden Champion at the ChampionsMEET 2026 event in Apolda. The company, based in Korbußen, is today among the technological leaders in non-ferrous metal semi-finished products, with a particular focus on precision-milled plates and cut-to-size components.

With around 500 employees at its Thuringia site and more than 1,200 employees worldwide, BIKAR combines traditional materials expertise with digitalized production processes and in-house software development. “This award confirms the path we have consistently pursued for many years,” explains Christian Harzendorf, Site Manager in Korbußen. “We continuously develop our processes, technologies, and solutions - with the goal of enabling optimal production workflows for our customers.”

Christian Harzendorf, Authorized Signatory and Operations Manager of the BIKAR AEROSPACE site in Korbußen; Colette Boos-John, Thuringian Minister for Economic Affairs, Agriculture and Rural Areas; and Dr. Jonas Weber, Head of Digital Innovation at BIKAR, during the award ceremony at the LEG Thuringia ChampionsMEET 2026. Image: LEG Thuringia

03.06.2026 Jan Saßmannshausen

From a Thuringian start-up to a global aerospace partner

The development of the Korbußen site began in 2009 with the founding of what was then BIKAR ALUMINIUM GmbH. Just a few years later, the company received the Thuringian Founder Award. Entering the aerospace industry in 2016 marked the next major milestone in its development. Today, BIKAR supplies international customers in aerospace, mechanical engineering, medical technology, and other high-tech industries around the world.
The aerospace sector, in particular, serves as a benchmark for quality, process reliability, and documentation. “What works in aerospace works everywhere,” said Dr. Jonas Weber during the award ceremony in Apolda. “The demands of this industry have driven tremendous technological progress within our company.”

Today, BIKAR’s activities extend far beyond material processing. The company increasingly develops integrated production solutions in which material flow, cutting operations, warehouse technology, software, and manufacturing processes are intelligently interconnected.

€60 Million investment in automated production

This commitment is particularly evident in BIKAR ZONE East in Korbußen. With an investment of around €60 million, one of the world’s most advanced fully automated cutting production facilities for aluminium semi-finished products is being built there. In the future, high-performance saws, automated warehouse technology, autonomous transport systems, and digital process control will operate together within a fully integrated production environment. A key part of the technological development is created directly within the company itself. BIKAR places strong emphasis on proprietary software solutions and employs an exceptionally skilled team of IT and digitalization specialists for an industrial company in this sector.

Family-owned company with a long-term strategy.

Today, the BIKAR Group is managed by the third generation of the founding family. In addition to the Korbußen facility, the group operates production sites at its original headquarters in Bad Berleburg (North Rhine-Westphalia, Germany), as well as in the United Kingdom, India, and Malaysia, supported by an international sales network.
BIKAR considers this long-term orientation to be a key factor in its success. “As a family-owned company, we think in generations rather than quarters,” says Harzendorf. “This provides the foundation for building technologies over the long term and driving sustainable industrial innovation.”

The recognition as a Thuringian Hidden Champion therefore highlights not only the company’s strong international market position, but also Thuringia’s role as a hub for modern industrial manufacturing. At a time when industrial value chains around the world are facing increasing pressure, BIKAR’s operations in Korbußen demonstrate how highly automated production, digital processes, and industrial precision can be successfully combined. Developed in Thuringia. Applied in global markets.

About BIKAR AEROSPACE

BIKAR AEROSPACE GmbH is part of the internationally active BIKAR Group and specializes in high-quality aluminium solutions for aerospace and other high-tech applications. The family-owned company was founded in 1962 and today employs more than 1,200 people worldwide. The Korbußen site, with approximately 500 employees, is one of the group’s most important production and innovation centers.

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