13th edition of the SESAR Innovation Days congress, SIDs

The conference presents innovation and scientific excellence, the two driving forces of the European Digital Sky

 

450 of Europe's leading researchers in air traffic management (ATM) and aviation gathered in Seville for the SESAR Innovation Days (SIDS) from November 27 to 30. Organized by the Higher Technical School of Engineering (ETSI) of the University of Seville , with the support of SESAR 3 JU founding members Enaire, Indra, Ryanair, and AENA, the conference featured 66 posters and 42 presentations on data-driven methods for predicting safety and resilience, weather-optimized flight paths, drone traffic management, and airport operations, among other research areas.

In his address at the conference, Andreas Boschen , Executive Director of the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, welcomed the influx of innovative concepts being incorporated into the European Digital Sky, noting their crucial role in addressing key challenges such as airspace capacity, climate, and accommodating new entrants. "We are counting on you, the brightest minds in research, to think outside the box and challenge conventional boundaries to transform European air traffic management, making it smarter, more resilient, and above all, more sustainable."

Following welcoming remarks from the hosts, Andrés Sáez Pérez , Director of the ETSI (School of Engineering), and Sergio Esteban Roncero , Delegate of the Rector of the University of Seville, the conference featured a presentation by María Luz de Mateo from Enaire, who offered an industry perspective on the importance of collaboration with academia to foster knowledge exchange. She noted that the concepts discussed today will be the solutions of tomorrow for addressing current and future challenges in the most efficient, environmentally friendly, and safe way. "Common challenges require common solutions; we are fully committed to developing innovative procedures and cutting-edge technologies to realize SESAR's vision of a Digital European Sky," she added.

In her opening address, Andrea Gentili , Clean Partnerships Manager and Deputy Head of Unit, Clean Planet, Directorate-General for Research and Innovation, European Commission, stated that the aviation industry must become more digital, sustainable, and resilient to meet Europe's climate ambitions and maintain its global leadership. She made a strong appeal to the community to ensure that its research aligns with policy needs, delivers impactful results, and finds synergies with industry to guarantee market uptake, taking into account citizens' evolving mobility patterns.

Speaker Milagros Sánchez , Director of ATM Strategy and Innovation Programs at Indra, is a self-confessed SESAR enthusiast: "This spirit of partnership is the true catalyst for change. It's the only mechanism that breaks down barriers," she stated, emphasizing the importance of the industry stemming the brain drain and retaining the emerging young talent that will shape the future of aviation.

The celebration of SESAR in Seville has been made possible thanks to the management and organization of the professors of the ETSI of the University of Seville, Damián Rivas , Alfonso Valenzuela and Antonio Franco .

 

Higher altitude operations in airspace

On the first day, experts from ICAO, Eurocontrol, NATS, the Polytechnic University of Turin, and Airbus discussed the needs of new types of aerial vehicles that fly at much higher altitudes than current aircraft. These vehicles offer various services, such as expansive mobile connectivity (equivalent to up to 250 telecommunications towers) and Earth observation applications. These higher-altitude space operations were the focus of a recently completed SESAR 2020 exploratory investigation, ECHO, which outlined a concept of operations (CONOPS). Now, ECHO 2, a new SESAR project, will build upon CONOPS by introducing modules for real-time tracking of space launches and packages covering air-ground operational integration procedures.

Modernization of US airspace

The second day opened with a review of the modernization of the U.S. national airspace system, from long-term research and innovation to its implementation. According to Rebecca Guy , Vice President of the Program Management Organization at the U.S. Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), flexibility is the fundamental requirement of the Automation Evolution Strategy. “Operational needs and the environment are constantly changing,” she stated, noting that rockets now launch daily in the United States, whereas 20 years ago, only five launched per year. The shift from hardware infrastructures to cloud-based services and standardized systems is helping to shorten the innovation lifecycle and accelerate technology deployment, she added. Connectivity with the aircraft will be central to future operations, stated Steve Bradford , Chief Scientist for NextGen4 at the FAA, which will greatly improve efficiency.

AI use cases and future trends

The application of artificial intelligence to air traffic management was the focus of discussions during the second day's plenary session. Experts highlighted some of the operational use cases where AI applications are being tested through research and innovation, as well as some of the challenges facing the acceptance and implementation of this promising technology.

The conference also provided an opportunity to discuss future research trends and needs with academic representatives from the University of Westminster and the Technical University of Braunschweig within the context of the European ATM Master Plan, Europe's shared roadmap for modernizing the ATM system. Key takeaways included the free flow of operational data for the common good to help build the future more quickly; the involvement of policymakers in the early stages of conceptual design to ensure that research findings can better support future transport regulations; and investment in future technologies such as neuromorphic and quantum computing to optimize operations in real time and with greater precision.

Micol Biscotto , coordinator of Engage 2, the Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN) of SESAR 3 of the European Commission, presented at the conference some of the activities that are contributing to fostering knowledge about future trends and strengthening ties between academia and industry.

Award for young scientists

The conference hosted the SESAR Young Scientists Awards ceremony, which recognizes the next generation of researchers in aviation and air traffic management in two categories: students and PhDs. The top prize among students went to Christopher Conrad of Cranfield University, whose thesis focuses on developing a data model to support vertiport operations. The jury commended Conrad for going beyond current innovations to address the issue of resource management and scheduling optimization in urban air mobility.

Nils Mäurer , from Airbus/Universität der Bundeswehr München, received the first prize in the doctoral category for his research on cybersecurity for communications in the next generation of aeronautical data links. The jury commended him for his robust and rigorous research approach, which included solution design, simulation, security validation, laboratory work, and flight testing.

Final remarks

Sergio Millanes Vaquero , Director of Seville Airport (AENA), presented the digital transformation taking place at the airport, including the use of passenger information robots, maintenance drones, and remote control systems. He stated that, by leveraging innovation, the airport has been able to effectively manage the intense growth it has experienced since the COVID-19 pandemic.

Innovation is also fundamental to tackling aviation's climate impact. We need to adopt a 360-degree climate approach,” said Giovanni Zucchetta , Ryanair's EU Public Affairs Manager, who presented the company's strategy to become carbon neutral by 2050, which includes sustainable aviation fuels, offsetting, and also operational improvements to the ATM system.

In his closing remarks, Raúl Medina , Director General of EUROCONTROL, stated: “Predicting the future is always risky, but one thing we know for sure is that it is full of challenges. SESAR 3 JU and Digital European Sky have a fundamental role to play in helping us bring the ATM system to the level of performance needed to meet these challenges,” he added. “The time for change is now. We need to focus on quick wins, but also have a long-term vision,” he concluded, underscoring the importance of the update to the European ATM Master Plan, scheduled for 2024.

SESAR Innovation Days 2024

The conference concluded with the announcement of the next SESAR Innovation Days (SIDs 2024), which will take place in Rome (Italy) from November 11 to 15, 2024.