Hamburg pioneers urban drone traffic management
The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany.
It aims to link air traffic data for the first time under real conditions…
The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany.
It aims to link air traffic data for the first time under real conditions with data from various sources and platforms to develop cross-border blueprints.
The project consortium expects to make a significant contribution to safe and economical air mobility. The BLU-Space project is funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport as part of the innovation initiative mFUND, with a total of €2.36 million.
The integration of drone technology into urban airspace promises significant benefits for society and the economy: it allows to reduce resource load on ground traffic and increases efficiency in logistics. It improves responsiveness for emergency services by rapidly delivering equipment and gathering precise information; it supports environmental protection through efficient data collection; enhances security through monitoring critical infrastructure; fosters economic development and innovation in various sectors; helps ensures data security and airspace safety; and strengthens disaster relief capabilities while also enhancing the safety of the wider public.
The BLU-Space consortium brings together various city authorities and operations, business partners and air traffic control facilities. Together, they plan to create the first EU-wide test airspace for a complete drone traffic management system, a so-called U-Space airspace, in Hamburg.
The city offers ideal conditions for this purpose. Its complex infrastructure of dense urban settlement, large port and industrial areas as well as inner-city airports make it ideal for developing problem solutions that set an example for other regions nationwide.
U-Space airspaces are the digital foundation of a completely new form of mobility and a prerequisite for extended drone applications. In a U-Space, drones can fly automated and beyond visual line of sight, controlled by pilots in the control centre.
This requires that position data must be coordinated and communicated between all systems, a key feature of the U-Space system. A central goal of BLU-Space is to involve relevant authorities, emergency control centres and transport businesses. The BLU-Space project will be completed in mid-2026.
The project, funded by the German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) within the framework of the mFUND funding program, relies on the synergy effect of collaboration between different actors in the project.
Melanie Leonhard, Hamburg’s Senator for Economic Affairs: “The BLU-Space project brings together the crucial actors in the field of drone coordination in Hamburg.
“I’m pleased about this development as it shows us that Hamburg continues to move forward as a pioneer of aviation. Our city offers the best conditions for the project.
“The complex infrastructure of dense urban settlement, large port and industrial areas, and inner-city airports is excellently suited to solving the challenges for all of Germany.”
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