Hamburg joins the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Initiative of the European Innovation Partnership (EIP-SCC), supported by the European Commission
Hamburg, 08 June 2018 – As one of the first cities, Hamburg is being welcomed to the Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Initiative of the European Innovation Partnership for Smart Cities and Communities (EIP-SCC). This makes the region an official demonstrator region for the implementation of civilian usage of drone and other urban air mobility technologies, addressing existing and new mobility needs in view of improving the life of its citizens.
In close cooperation with industry, universities, authorities and the public, feasibility studies for the systematic deployment of air mobility solutions in Hamburg’s urban areas will be developed. Targeted solutions will explore, for example, the time-sensitive transport of medical goods or the inspection and maintenance of large infrastructure facilities such as port bridges and wind turbines.
The Manifesto of Intent was formally signed on Thursday at the 52nd Hamburg Aviation Forum at the Hotel Hafen Hamburg, in the presence of Dr Henriette Van Eijl, Policy Coordinator Smart Cities at the European Commission (DG Move). Present Signatories included Senator Frank Horch, Hamburg Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation, Dr Vassilis Agouridas, EIP-SCC UAM Initiative Leader (Airbus), and Philipe Merlo from Eurocontrol.
“With internationally visible core industries such as aviation, maritime logistics, wind energy and life sciences, Hamburg is predestined to develop new, smart civilian application areas for drones, beneficial in equal measure to the commercial sector and the general population. As host city for the ITS World Congress 2021, we are delighted to already be involved in shaping the dialogue in this growth market at the European level,” says Senator Frank Horch, Hamburg Minister for Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation.
Possible scenarios: transport of emergency goods, wind turbine maintenance
The “Urban Air Mobility” initiative, endorsed and supported by the European Commission, is part of the Sustainable Urban Mobility action cluster of EIP-SCC - aimed at delivering concrete projects in cities with a positive impact on citizens’ life, by raising investments and accelerating innovation. The background is the economic cost of traffic congestion - estimated to already exceed 100 billion Euros per year Europe-wide, and rising. On top of this, there are additional difficulties, such as bridges being completely closed for maintenance work, and risks, for example when important medical treatment is delayed because couriers of blood bottles are stuck in traffic. In addition to saving time and money, the targeted usage of air mobility solutions around drones could also support the development of innovative services in metropolitan regions.
ZAL projects lay a foundation for Hamburg’s involvement
Alongside Hamburg, other European metropolitan regions, such as Geneva, are participating in the Urban Air Mobility Initiative. Ongoing interaction and communication between the engaged cities are planned. The initiative is led by Airbus, while institutional partners include Eurocontrol and the European Aviation Safety Agency (EASA).
Hamburg supporters and partners include the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Transport and Innovation, Lufthansa Technik, several universities, and the ZAL Center for Applied Aeronautical Research. The latter laid the thematic foundation for the successful European cooperation with the WiNDroVe project last year. “Commercial UAVs” was also a topic at the 52nd Hamburg Aviation Forum, the networking event where the agreement was signed, with 200 people in attendance.
Find out more about the Urban Air Mobility Initiative here.