With its reliance on legacy infrastructure, aviation is one of the industries in greatest need of an innovation boost. At the same time, while startup insolvency rates are at their lowest in years, it can be difficult for emerging businesses to connect with the airlines and airports searching for new tech solutions.
Plug and Play, one of the innovation partners for Aviation Festival Asia 2026, are here to bridge that gap. A Venture Capital fund and innovation services provider, Plug and Play’s partners include some of the biggest names in aviation, such as Airbus, Cathay Pacific, and SkyTeam. To learn more about the current startup scene, we spoke to Nik Munaretto, Managing Director at Plug and Play Austria.
The Alpine country serves as Plug and Play’s aviation hub. Overseeing a budget in the millions of euros, Munaretto has first-hand experience in guiding the partnerships that affect real change in the industry. In recent years, he has seen robotic baggage handlers and autonomous vehicles tested in ground operations to cover workforce shortages. However, significant challenges remain to maintain security levels and implement deep tech at an effective level.
For Munaretto, other key areas that need addressing are payments infrastructure and sustainability. Progress here hinges on global policy to a certain extent, but he is still on the lookout for new companies with fresh approaches to the challenges.
Instant payments through stable coins and verification are something that we think is going to have an impact.
With budgets tighter than ever, Munaretto advises startups to think carefully about how their ideas can deliver a strong return on investment (ROI). At the same time, corporates need to become more-open minded and less risk-averse, especially since innovation is the only way forward when facing financial pressure.
We saw during the Covid-19 pandemic what an amazing time that was for startups and innovation, because suddenly everyone had time to think about their processes and take a step back.
Munaretto will be serving as one of the judges on the Startup Pitch Competition at Aviation Festival Asia. When it comes to assessing the contestants, he says he is on the lookout for effective deployment use cases, not just potential, as well as the strength of their presenting skills.
We see a lot of startups that promise a lot but then underdeliver. So in my opinion, one of the most important things to look out for is how the founders perform on stage, and what they’re promising versus what they can deliver.
To explore Asia’s most innovative startups and the technology shaping the region, join us at Aviation Festival Asia 2026, 25-26 March in Singapore.
🎥 Watch the interview to get Nik Munaretto’s full insights on startups and innovation in aviation.
Questions asked:
- What is unique about the current innovation landscape in APAC?
- What are you most excited to see at our startup pitch competition? What kind of disruptive ideas do you think the aviation industry could really benefit from?
- What sort of challenges do innovators in the aviation landscape face? What can we do to nurture them effectively and bring change to an industry that often prefers tradition
- Plug and Play are one of our Innovation Partners. What brings you to Aviation Festival Asia, what do you hope to get out of it/what kind of connections are you looking to make?
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