ENAIRE selects the winning startups of its air traffic management acceleration programme

ENAIRE, Spain's national air navigation service provider, through CRIDA, its research and development (R&D) subsidiary, has received proposals from 32 startups in various countries for the first edition of its Air Traffic Management Acceleration Programme.

A startup is a newly created company that, thanks to its scalable business model and the use of new technologies, offers great growth potential.   

The Selection Committee evaluated all the proposals received and the Jury selected the two startups that will take part in the acceleration programme, during which they will receive cash prizes.

The short-listed startups were:

- Birdstop has developed a technology based on an AI network of beacons to detect all users (equipped or not) of low-altitude airspace (between 0 and 2,000 metres above sea level). It is mainly used to safely integrate drones and general aviation into low-altitude airspace.

- APPLIED INNOVATION METHODS relies on artificial intelligence to predict rapidly evolving weather events. It integrates several sources of observation and forecast data to train an algorithm to provide accurate, digital, relevant and easy-to-integrate information during the day of operation to better manage air traffic.

The two startups selected will receive a prize of 40,000 euros, as well as personalised support in order to implement their technologies at ENAIRE during the acceleration programme.

The acceleration will last six months and take place between October 2023 and March 2024, when the following activities will be carried out:

- Implementation: creation of work teams for each startup and creation of a roadmap to launch a proof of concept, pilot or prototype at ENAIRE.

- Individual monitoring: weekly work team meetings (from October 2023 to March 2024), access to ENAIRE's facilities and personnel to implement the startup's technology.

- Virtual campus: access to the virtual campus, with 24 modules of content on entrepreneurship.

ENAIRE Open Innovation

The Business Ideas Competition in Air Traffic Management is part of the ENAIRE Open Innovation project. In 2023, this project will include the third edition of the Technical Challenge Competition and an acceleration phase for newly-created companies.

"With these initiatives, ENAIRE will promote turning entrepreneurial ideas into real projects through the Open Innovation concept, that is, by looking for talent outside the organisation as well, such as in universities and among entrepreneurs inside and outside the sector", says CRIDA's director, José Miguel de Pablo. 

More information at ideas.enaireopeninnovation.com

About ENAIRE

ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.

As a company of the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and the Urban Agenda, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.

In addition, 46 airports receive ENAIRE's communication, navigation and surveillance services, and 21 airports, including the country's busiest, rely on its aerodrome control services.

ENAIRE is Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.

ENAIRE, as the agency appointed by the Ministry of Transport, Mobility and Urban Agenda to implement the U-space system in Spain, will be the provider of the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential for administering U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility, in interaction with local air traffic control services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.

ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.

About CRIDA

CRIDA A.I.E. is a non-profit group set up by ENAIRE, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and Ingeniería y Economía del Transporte, S.A. (INECO).

Its mission is to improve the efficiency and performance of Spain's air traffic management system by developing R&D ideas and projects that provide quantifiable solutions through system performance indicators, while considering the Spanish system as an integral part of a global system.

To do this, it must analyse the system's benefits quantitatively and systematically, diagnose problems and identify their causes, propose and design innovative alternatives, identify and validate the optimal alternatives, and actively collaborate in the process of implementing the selected solution.

The system must be analysed in direct collaboration with ENAIRE, as the main partner, thereby contributing to its mission of providing air navigation services safely while ensuring quality, efficiency and respect for the environment.