What is the added value of being a member of the SESAR 3 JU?

Volocopter has been a frontrunner in harmonizing ATM/UTM for operations since 2019, and we have committed to the new SESAR 3 JU for the next decade.  For Volocopter, the value lies in harnessing knowledge and expertise (i.e., the research) and the practical applications provided by working groups involving partners. 

The new SESAR 3 JU programme enabled us to go one step further and submit new research and application processes that we are certain will benefit not only Volocopter but also the UAM industry as a whole. In turn, this will broaden the exploratory research and innovation of the industry and advance the implementation of findings that will enhance the U-space. 

Fast implementation will help to shape the industry, while supporting commercialisation is a crucial step for scaling, and thus a successful UAM industry.

What are Volocopter’s top three innovation priorities?

First, Volocopter plans to build a fully functional U-space and implement traffic management procedures and technologies that will reduce the burden on air traffic controllers today. 

Secondly, we have identified the need to develop commonly agreed-upon VTOL route design principles in the urban airspace that caters to all airspace classes. 

Third, in order for the industry to scale simultaneously, we need to build a cost-efficient traffic management system architecture, like our VoloIQ, that delivers both safety and security.

In which flagships of the Digital European Sky programme is Volocopter particularly interested in getting involved, and why?

Volocopter is an active consortium contributor in the development and practical implementation of U-space in Europe. 

We participated in the European Concept of Operations for U-space very large-scale demonstration, CORUS-XUAM (an extension of the preceding project). 

Volocopter is on the verge of achieving entry into service in our first European cities, Paris and Rome, by 2024. To this end, practical implementation of traffic concepts and other U-Space operations must begin as quickly as possible.  

However, we are still seeing the need to mature both crewed and uncrewed VTOL operations, such as traffic around vertiports. As a key contributor, we submitted a joint project proposal with equally committed partners for a project under the last Horizon-SESAR-2022 call. 

Call: HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 (Digital European Sky Industrial Research 01) 

Topic: HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01-WA4-1 

Type of Action: HORIZON-JU-IA