Hamburg Pioneers Urban Drone Traffic Management

The BLU-Space project is developing a system for the management of unmanned drone traffic in Germany. Its purpose is to integrate air traffic data with data from various sources and platforms for the first time under real conditions to develop holistic blueprints.

This is expected to make a significant contribution to safe and economical air mobility. The BLU-Space project is being funded with a total of 2.36 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.

The integration of drone technology in urban airspace has the potential of providing significant benefits for society and the economy: it reduces ground-based traffic and increases efficiency in logistics. The rapid delivery of equipment and targeted acquisition of information improves the ability to respond to emergencies, supports environmental protection through efficient data collection, increases security by monitoring critical infrastructure, promotes economic development and innovation in various industries, ensures data protection and airspace security and strengthens civil protection and civil security.

The BLU-Space consortium brings together various municipal authorities and companies, business partners and air traffic control. Together, they are planning to create the first European test airspace for a complete drone traffic management system in Hamburg, known as a U-space airspace. The city offers optimal conditions to achieve this goal. Its complex infrastructure, which consists of densely populated urban areas, large port and industrial areas as well as inner-city airports, is ideal for developing future-proof solutions for Germany.

U-space airspaces are the digital foundation of a completely new form of mobility and a prerequisite for scaling the use of drones, which can fly automatically and beyond visual line of sight, remotely operated by pilots in a control centre. To achieve this, the position of aircraft will be shared between all relevant systems, which is ensured uniformly and securely in a U-space. One of the core objectives of BLU-Space, which will be completed by mid-2026, is to digitally integrate all relevant authorities, emergency service centers and transport companies with the U-space.

L-R: Dieter Küsel, HHLA Sky, Christoffer Björnram, HHLA Sky – Thies Raetzke/HHLA Sky

The project, which is funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport (BMDV) as part of the mFUND innovation program, will leverage the synergies of cooperation between various stakeholders within the project. As a European model city for UAM (Urban Air Mobility), Hamburg offers an established, well-connected and multi-layered ecosystem. Highly competent and committed players from public authorities, administration and politics as well as industry and academia are jointly developing solutions for the safe, economical, publicly accepted and sustainable use of drones.

According to Dr. Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economics and Innovation:

“The BLU-Space project brings together the key players in drone traffic management in Hamburg. I am delighted about this development, which demonstrates that Hamburg continues to lead the way as a pioneer in aviation. Our city offers ideal conditions for the success of this project. The complex infrastructure of a densely populated urban environment, large port and industrial areas and inner-city airports is well-suited for solving challenges for the benefit of all of Germany.”

BLU Space aims to create the European Union’s first test u-space airspace for a UAS traffic management system (UTM).HHLA Sky, a subsidiary of Hamburger Hafen und Logistik AG (HHLA), automates and scales the global use of drones. To the BLU Space project, HHLA Sky will provide its technologies for drone operators, USSP and UTM to enable the safe and efficient development of lower airspace for commercial and industrial drone flights in safe coordination with crewed aviation.

Top Photo: Two drones in the sky above Hamburg – HHLA Sky.

Source: Press Release