Amsterdam Drone Week (ADW) is set to redefine the boundaries of air mobility and drone services, gathering global leaders and innovators in Amsterdam for a groundbreaking event from 16 to 18 April. This year's theme, "Shaping the Future of Scalable Drone and Air Mobility Services," focuses on fostering worldwide collaboration to integrate skies globally.
ADW 2024 promises an expansive program featuring Michele Merkle (Director of the Air Navigation Bureau, ICAO), Nick Careen (Senior Vice President Operations, IATA), Jan-Christoph Oetjen (EU Member of Parliament), Brian Yutko (CEO Wisk), Oleg Aleksandrov (Head of RPAS unit at United Nation World Food Programme), Oliver Luksic (State Secretary to the German Federal Minister for Digital and Transport) and Dirk Hoke (CEO Volocopter), among others. The event will mark the inaugural Global Air Mobility Conference, a significant step towards establishing a global framework for harmonized regulations. This effort is supported by key partnerships with the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO), the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA), the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA), and the Dutch Ministry of Infrastructure and Water Management.
Michele Merkle, Director of the Air Navigation Bureau at the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is pleased to collaborate in the event. “The Global Air Mobility Conference can serve as an important forum towards the AAM 2024 Symposium at ICAO’s Headquarters in Montréal on 9-12 September 2024. In Amsterdam, we can inform the global conversation and leverage ongoing efforts towards stakeholder cooperation in this rapidly growing industry.”
Industry giants
The agenda also includes sessions with industry giants like the EU Defence Agency, NASA, Amazon, Airbus, Boeing, Wing and many more, covering topics such as the future of eVTOLs, implementing drone logistics, the benefits and challenges for current mobility systems, a global overview of UTM implementation, and the Update Drone Strategy 2.0.
Important questions during the many discussion panels, workshops and lectures are ‘What kind of framework must be adopted to support and accelerate the deployment of advanced air mobility?’; ‘How to Foster trust in new technologies to garner public acceptance beyond early adopters: lowering noise levels and creating friendly daily-life interfaces’ and ‘How to align the UTM certification with the speed of technology development ?’.
Connecting cities and regions
Urban Air Mobility will not only connect remote communities with economic opportunities within cities but also enhance transportation options and services, such as inspection, emergency response, and security, through the use of drones. This advancement will save time and infrastructure investment, benefiting both urban areas and their inhabitants. Amsterdam, Paris, Hamburg, and some cities from Japan will showcase their advanced UAM plans to the world. Additionally, countries like the US, Germany, Kenia, Canada, Oman, Ghana and Rwanda will share their visions for sustainable urban ecosystems and discuss blueprints for U-space implementation.
Innovative solutions at the showfloor
On the show floor, a lineup of the most innovative companies from recent years. KPN, Groupe ADP, Dronevolt, ST Engineering, EIT Urban Mobility Innovation Hub, and Norrköping Science Park will be present to showcase their latest products and solutions. Additionally, at the heart of the floor lies the special start-up pavilion, which will feature innovative solutions across various sectors, including inspection, maintenance, and logistics. This pavilion will underscore the versatility and potential of drone technology in tackling complex challenges and fostering a sustainable and efficient future. Among the participating startups are Ninanobiz, Egis Avia, and Phoenix Wings, alongside presentations from the winners of the ADW startup challenge: Skycharge, Speeder Systems, and SCURA.
