The Physicist Who Challenged Aviation: Inside the Future of VTOL | EP.61

What if the future of flight didn’t come from aerospace giants—but from a physicist who once broke world speed records on a human-powered bicycle?In this episode of Industry Ignited, host Dr. Leeanne Aguilar sits down with Damjan Zabovnik, CEO of EV Corporation, to explore how radical efficiency, unconventional thinking, and persistence are reshaping aviation.Damjan shares his journey from designing the world’s most aerodynamic human-powered vehicles to developing next-generation electric VTOL aircraft and heavy-lift autonomous drones. The conversation dives into circular wing design, hybrid lift systems, edge AI autonomy, and why simplicity often beats complexity in aerospace engineering.Industry Ignited https://industryignited.com/Instagram https://www.instagram.com/industryignited/Facebook https://www.facebook.com/industryignited/Spotify https://open.spotify.com/show/3TX1L5LPr4lt1UtcSpSvlN?si=7037433a58c54162Apple Podcast https://podcasts.apple.com/us/podcast/industry-ignited-podcast/id1824619671LinkedIn https://www.linkedin.com/company/industry-ignited0:00 intro0:06 The Journey of a Physicist: From Bicycles to Aviation5:40 Innovative Design: The Circular Wing VTOL Concept9:51 Learning From Failures: Iterations in Design13:11 Hybrid Approach: Combining Helicopter Lift with Fixed Wing Efficiency16:33 Targeting Emergency Response: The Right Market Entry18:20 The Importance of Autonomy in Remote Operations20:16 Validation and Credibility: NASA SBIR Award21:20 Leadership in Complex Industry23:41 Balancing Passion with Family Life25:06 Advice for Innovators Taking Risks and Staying Persistent#PODCAST #AVIATION #AEROSPACE