Through its Exploratory Research, the SESAR 3 JU looks beyond the current R&D and what is already identified in the European ATM Master Plan.

The aim is to investigate new ideas, concepts, and technologies, but also to challenge pre-conceived notions about air traffic management and the aviation value chain.

By advancing promising research ideas and embedding them in a broader programme of work, the SESAR 3 JU is helping to future-proof Europe’s aviation industry and to maintain its global competitive edge.

The key principles guiding SESAR 2020 exploratory research activities are:

• To bring together the brightest of minds in Europe to undertake research to find “out of the box” solutions to current and future ATM challenges, both within and outside of the scope of SESAR industrial research
• To consider innovations/technologies coming from non-ATM sectors, such as automotive, robotics, as well as in other safety critical industries, such as space, etc.
• To foster a network of European ATM research capabilities and knowledge so as to strengthen European competitiveness and its workforce
• To create a mechanism in order to monitor and assess the maturity of exploratory research results and their integration into the SESAR innovation pipeline, where appropriate