Digital European Sky showcased at Transport Research Arena Conference

The SESAR JU joined forces with fellow transport joint undertakings (Europe's Rail, Clean Hydrogen, and Clean Aviation), to showcase the power of partnership during the Transport Research Arena (TRA), the largest European transport event, which took place between 15-18 April in Dublin.

The four-day event provided the opportunity to hear about mobility trends in different parts of Europe and to share best practices of policies and deployments. The conference also offered a great venue for researchers, policymakers, and industry representatives to get together and contribute to the discussion on how research and innovation could reshape the transport and mobility system.

Ahead of the conference, on 14 April, the SESAR JU arranged a visit for Magda Kopczyńska, the European Commission's Director-General (DG) for Mobility and Transport, to Dublin's air traffic control tower run by SESAR JU member, AirNav Ireland. There she met Dr. Peter Kearney, CEO of AirNav Ireland and controllers, and discussed, among other things, the importance of the advancing technical solutions for air traffic safety and contributing to climate change mitigation efforts, within the framework of SESAR.

"I'm delighted to visit AirNav Ireland and witness firsthand how controllers are ensuring the seamless and secure management of our skies," remarked Magda Kopczyńska, Director-General at the European Commission's Directorate-General for Mobility and Transport. "It's equally fascinating to delve into how innovations driven by SESAR are truly transforming day-to-day operations. Collaborative efforts are crucial to ensure the aviation sector is future-ready and capable of meeting its critical climate objectives."

Kick-starting the conference in 15 April, Commission DG and Eamon Ryan, Ireland's Minister for the Environment, Climate and Communications and Minister for Transport were among the VIP guests, who visited the joint Transport for Europe stand to hear about some of the innovations underway in SESAR JU to make Europe the most efficient and environmentally-friendly sky to fly in the world.

Throughout the four days, the SESAR JU organised and participated in a number of sessions addressing a range of topics, from the multimodality, urban air mobility and data-sharing, to the synergies between funding streams and modes of transport, and the challenges facing transport partnerships like the JU.
With the conference taking place in Ireland, the SESAR JU had the opportunity to meet its Irish members and projects, such as Ryanair, AirNav Ireland, Airtel, Collins Aerospace Ireland and EALU-AER, SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrator, funded by CINEA, which is building an end-to-end ecosystem to help both conventional and unmanned aircraft safely integrate operations. Several SESAR JU projects also participated in the conference and were featured on the Transport for Europe stand.

The SESAR JU in collaboration with AirNav Ireland also welcomed students from Drimnagh Castle Secondary School to the stand to present the exciting career opportunities in air traffic management and the role the next generation can play in delivering the Digital European Sky.

More about the event