ENAIRE partners with research and Canary Island government to progress U-space

ENAIRE, Spain’s air navigation service provider, has announced a partnership agreement covering new projects related to drones, air mobility and satellites. The agreement was signed by ENAIRE and the Council of Universities, Science, Innovation and Culture of the Government of the Canary Islands, through the Canary Islands Agency for Research, Innovation and the Information Society (ACIISI), and the Council of Fuerteventura, through the Parque Tecnológico de Fuerteventura S.A. (PTFSA).

The agreement is valid for one year and can be extended for a further four years. It sets out areas of joint participation in new projects as well as sources of funding for the Canarias Geo Innovation 2030 Earth observation programme, and will also support projects already underway.

Projects at a local, regional, national or European level aimed at promoting research and development in aviation, aerospace and new technologies related to air navigation services will be covered by the agreement. Digital and technological development in the provision of aviation and aerospace services is also included.

Specific areas to be addressed by the partnership include airspace integration of uncrewed aerial systems such as drones and High-Altitude Pseudo-Satellite Platforms (HAPS); and the development of the operational concepts of U-space and urban air mobility (UAM)  for future implementation and deployment nationwide, including the Canary Islands.

The agreement enables collaboration in the development and potential implementation of flight procedures based on the concept of performance navigation (PBN) to improve accessibility of drones to new vertiports.

The partnership will identify and promote strategic alliances between the different Spanish actors and agents involved in the deployment of U-space services and UAM, including the execution of joint research and development projects, creation of consortia, and training activities.