EUROCONTROL’s Director General Raúl Medina and Giuseppe Acierno, President of the Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale (DTA), have signed a Technical Cooperation Agreement to strengthen collaboration on U-space, Uncrewed Traffic Management (UTM), High-Altitude Operations (HAO) and aviation innovation.
The agreement combines EUROCONTROL’s pan-European coordination and technical expertise with DTA’s ecosystem of aerospace enterprises, research institutions, and test infrastructures in southern Italy.
The partnership will advance U-space and UTM integration into the wider ATM system to enable safe, efficient drone operations in increasingly complex airspace. Together, the organisations will make use of the Grottaglie Airport Test Bed and Bari Metropolitan Sandbox to validate technologies, operational concepts and U-space solutions in real-world conditions.
To promote and grow HAO and innovative air mobility (IAM), the partnership will focus on safety, scalability and sustainability. EUROCONTROL and DTA will bring together academia, industry and public authorities to co-develop solutions for emerging ATM and aerospace challenges while supporting internships, training and expert exchanges.
The partnership will also strengthen cooperation within the SESAR framework by jointly contributing to European research and innovation projects. This includes advancing U-space services and IAM integration through the validation of SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrators, ensuring that results achieved at local testbeds in Puglia are effectively linked to pan-European initiatives.
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