On 6-7 November, members of the SESAR Joint Undertaking (SESAR JU) came together at a workshop in Amsterdam to discuss the research needed in order to deliver smarter, more sustainable and safer aviation.

The workshop, organised and moderated by NLR and DLR, used the “World Café” method to stimulate lively discussions among the 50 participants on the challenges facing aviation especially relating to capacity and sustainability, as well as the research priorities that have been identified in the European ATM Master Plan, Europe’s roadmap for delivering a digital European sky.

In small groups, the participants dived deeper, defining concrete activities associated with each research priority. Together with the ATM Master Plan due for publication at the end of 2019, the outcomes of the workshop provide a sound basis to further shape and map the next phase of air traffic management modernisation.

The German Aerospace Center (DLR) and the Royal Netherlands Aerospace Centre (NLR), two of the largest European aerospace research and development organisations, form the AT-One Consortium, a member of the SESAR JU.

The digital European sky leverages the latest digital technologies to transform Europe’s aviation infrastructure enabling it to handle the future growth and diversity of air traffic safely and efficiently, while minimising environmental impact. This transformation centres on technologies that can increase the levels of automation, cyber-secure data sharing and connectivity in air traffic management (ATM), and as well as the virtualisation of its infrastructure and air traffic service provision in all types of airspace, including for very-low and high altitude operations .