Unmanned aircraft systems, including drones, are used in an increasing number of cases within urban contexts: interhospital networks, search and rescue services, traffic monitoring, construction sites inspections, etc. With the technology improvement and growth of operators and airspace service providers, European cities are looking for ways to monitor and regulate the low-altitude airspace (e.g. 0-200 meters altitude) above their area of responsibility. In addition, multiple recent incidents with drones of unknown origin above densely populated areas raise concerns about the capacity of authorities to ensure citizens' safety.
European regulation designs a framework for multi-stakeholder coordination of an integrated airspace called U-space, with defined roles and information exchanges. In that framework, and with available tools, how can cities communicate with and enforce local restrictions on airspace service providers? How can they best collaborate with other key stakeholders? And what can they learn from the road traffic management sector?
POLIS and UIC2 bring together experts from local and national levels to discuss these challenges and potential solutions.
Join this session to learn from technical translations of governance challenges, and how multilevel coordination can advance urban and innovative aerial mobility to ensure it supports societal interests in an efficient way.
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At LSBG I am currently leading IT projects focused on the internal development and professionalization of Drone-as-a-Service for the City of Hamburg, while also serving as a certified drone pilot in the fields of infrastructure and transportation. My background includes several years of experience in international logistics and account management. Academically, I hold degrees in International Business Administration as well as Public and Nonprofit Management. Personally, I am convinced that the public sector holds great potential, provided it faces current challenges proactively and embraces change rather than resisting it.
As Innovation Manager Jop is responsible for the several Technolution innovation roadmaps across its different markets. He is currently leading the Technolution drone innovation programme, in which Technolution explores how its expertise in ITS and Mobility as well as its expertise in reliable system integration in the defence domain can contribute to a safe, effective and scalable development of airspace management tooling for drone operations. Through the Technolution Airspace Management Platform prototype, demonstrated at this years intertraffic on booth 1.510B, Technolution explores how local authorities can become involved in the drone ecosystem and U-Space and enable safe and effective drone mobility in urban areas.
Ms. Tran, as the Director of Aeronautics (2015-Present) at the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) Ames Research Center (ARC), provides technical and management oversight of research disciplines in air traffic management, airspace simulation and operations, autonomous systems, computational fluid dynamics analysis, vertical flight vehicle technology, experimental fluid mechanics, and wind tunnel operations. She ensures the safe operations of the world’s largest wind tunnels and Vertical Motion Simulator. She has also served as the Aeronautics Research Director representing NASA Ames at the Aeronautics Mission Directorate. She works closely with the office of the Associate Administrator and its program directors to develop strategic plans and directions for Aeronautics, including several critical initiatives such as Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) or Drones Traffic Management (UTM) and airspace operations and safety technologies to enable more efficient and safe commercial aviation as well as the integration of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the national airspace systems. Her organization also develops new portable ATM systems for wildland fire aerial suppression during degraded condition and nighttime operations. Ms. Tran is the lead inventor of the Phenolic Impregnated Carbon Ablator (PICA) heat shield material that was successfully protected sample return to earth from comet Wild II (Stardust) and asteroid Bennu (OSIRIS-Rex), four Mars missions and currently used as the primary heatshield for Space-X cargo and crew Dragon capsules. Ms. Tran holds three patents, numerous publications and awards. She earned five NASA achievement medals including the highest recognition from the agency – the Distinguished Service Medal in 2023.
Joost Vreeken leads the Unmanned and Autonomous programme at NLR, driving advancements in drone technology, utilisation, and policy. His expertise lies in integrating drones into existing air and ground environments, prioritising safe and efficient operations. With a strong aviation and research background, Joost develops key building blocks to unlock the full potential of unmanned aviation. He fosters collaboration with local and international stakeholders to promote coordinated and pragmatic integration of unmanned systems, ensuring realistic and safe implementation.
