Its principal task is to render scientific support and
technical assistance to the Netherlands aerospace industries
and organizations, civil and military aircraft operators, and
governmental agencies concerned with aviation and spaceflight.
NLR closely co-operates with the aerospace company Fokker in
aircraft development projects (Fokker 50, Fokker 100) under
contract with the Netherlands Agency for Aerospace Programs
(NIVR);
NLR assists aircraft operators (KLM Royal Netherlands
Air Force, Navy and Army) in the evaluation of aircraft and
equipment, and in solving technical problems arising during
aircraft operation. The Netherlands Government, particularly
the Netherlands Department of Civil Aviation (RLD), is assisted
by NLR with technical and scientific support in the execution
of its supervisory task concerning airworthiness, air traffic
control, flight safety, accident investigations, environmental
control, etc. In the field of spaceflight NLR takes part in the
programmes of the European Space Agency (ESA).
The knowledge, experience and equipment of NLR are also applied
in fields related to aerospace research, such as wind hindrance,
wind load, smoke hindrance, atmospheric pollution and aircraft
noise. NLR also participates in the Netherlands windenergy
research programmes.
The yearly turnover of NLR is about 110 million guilders. About 70 per cent of the turnover stems from research contracts with industry and (inter)national institutions; 30 per cent stems from a Government subsidy for NLR's basic research programme. NLR employs a staff of 830, of which two-thirds are graduated from universities or advanced technical colleges. It is organized in five major research divisions: Fluid Dynamics, Flight, Structures and Materials, Space, and Informatics. These Research divisions are supported by the Technical Services, General Services and Administrative Services. Multi-disciplinary project teams, in which often experts from the customer's organization participate, carry out work under contract with Dutch and foreign industries and organizations.