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Smart city

Cities in Europe are thinking about innovative ways to promote efficient mobility for their citizens. In this context, we at EUROCONTROL are supporting a business demonstration on the use of drones in ‘smart cities’. 

Cities in Europe are thinking about innovative ways to promote efficient mobility for their citizens. One idea is to use low-level flying vehicles – could they become part of our everyday landscape in the not so-far-away future? A European initiative called ‘Urban Air Mobility’ is part of the Marketplace of the European Innovation Partnership in Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC) action cluster of Sustainable Urban Mobility. The Marketplace brings together cities and regions (including Governmental Authorities) with companies, academia and other stakeholders to showcase innovative urban mobility solutions and support their replication at scale in key market segments.

In this context, we at EUROCONTROL are supporting a business demonstration on the use of U-space (drones) in ‘smart cities’. The development of U-space service solutions involving both stakeholders and public organisations to address unmet mobility user needs, for example in public, shared transport and in mobility-as-a-service. U-space services have the potential to create fast evolving investment opportunities for European companies.

The outcome will:

  • help regulators who are busy with defining a legal framework for businesses wanting to use drones
  • anticipate increased focus on standardisation as a driver for mobility innovation
  • bring together relevant communities to jointly work on accelerating Urban Air Mobility market uptake
  • match cities across Europe with stakeholders interested in launching practical demonstration studies and activities in committed cities
  • encourage investors to finance this new form of mobility
  • anticipate fostering the cross-fertilisation of best practice among cities on addressing UAM integration challenges and issues in urban environments. 

Our contribution in this initiative will complement the establishment of EU Network of U-space Demonstrators, another initiative where EUROCONTROL is supporting European Commission along with SJU and EASA.

We are proud to help define the shape mobility will take in the future! 

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