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.
