7 August 2023
TARTU, Estonia, 7 August 2023 – Flying Forward 2020 (FF2020), an innovation and research project funded by the European Union, has initiated autonomous drone demonstrations in Tartu, Estonia. This city, renowned for its innovative spirit and commitment to sustainable development, is the latest FF2020 Living Lab to conduct drone testing in a real-world environment. The demonstrations, organised by Tartu Science Park and the Estonian Aviation Academy, showcase the potential of Urban Air Mobility (UAM) solutions.
Tartu has recently been selected as one of the European Commission’s 100 Climate-Neutral and Smart Cities by 2030 and will be the European Capital of Culture in 2024. The local ecosystem, interested in advancements in the field of drones and drone services, has jointly established ZeroEST – an NGO with key stakeholders’ involvement intent on creating the testing area for uncrewed aviation in Estonia.
“FF2020 demonstration is an important milestone for Tartu on becoming a testbed for novel drone services. The Tartu living lab aims to be the launchpad and testbed for commercially viable drone services.”
Pirko Konsa, Board Member of Tartu Science Park
The drone demonstrations will present two use cases: last-mile delivery and critical infrastructure inspection. The main goal for the testing activities is to evaluate technical, legal and regulatory barriers, measure public perception and create a plan with investments into digital and physical infrastructure enabling the living lab set-up in Tartu.
The culmination of local FF2020 activities will be an open seminar, “Legal Aspects in the Use of Drone Technologies”, held on August 25. This event will provide an overview of FF2020 testing in Tartu as well as an opportunity for the public to witness the advancements in UAM and the potential of drone technology across Europe.
“Drones will play a significant role in the cities as a platform for services ranging from public services to commercial and personal use. Testing in smaller cities and living labs will provide the needed confirmation that they are commercially and legally feasible, technologically doable and safe for the society before full commercialisation.”
Maiken Kull, Vice Rector for Development at Estonian Aviation Academy.
The event on August 25 will take place from 10 AM to 5 PM EEST and is open to those interested in the future of Urban Air Mobility to join FF2020, ZeroEST, Tartu City, Tartu Science Park and the Estonian Aviation Academy’s exciting journey towards a future where drones play a pivotal role in supporting cities, citizens and organisations.
Click here for more information about the event and register by 13 August.
For further information, please contact:
The local team preparing the demonstrations at Tartu Science Park:
Name: Henri Hanson, project manager of Flying Forward 2020 at Tartu Science Park
Phone:+372 53097706
Email: henri.hanson@teaduspark.ee
Media inquiries FF2020:
Name: Nathy Ercol, Communication Advisor, Flying Forward 2020 and INSPIR8ION
Phone: +31619807149
Email: nathy@inspir8ion.nl
About Flying Forward 2020
Flying Forward 2020 (FF2020) is a collaborative three-year research and innovation project funded by the European Union under the Horizon 2020 programme under grant agreement number 101006828. The project is developing an entire state-of-the-art Urban Air Mobility (UAM) infrastructure by incorporating this new form of mobility within the geospatial digital infrastructure of cities. It includes a governance model and framework, a regulatory framework, a geospatial digital infrastructure, a Digital Toolbox, an Identity of Things (IDoT) scheme, and interoperability frameworks. The solutions developed during the project will be tested in five living labs across Europe: Eindhoven, Milan, Zaragoza, Tartu and Oulu – enabling an open dialogue with stakeholders, end-users and citizens to improve processes and results. Ultimately, their goal is to have a positive and lasting impact on the quality of life of European citizens and to create sustainable partnerships and cities. For more information, visit www.ff2020.eu.