BLU-Space Consortium
About BLU-Space
The BLU-Space (Blueprint U-Space) project is piloting the implementation of a safe and automated traffic management system for UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems). For the first time in the EU, this is taking place under real conditions and in urban, controlled airspace. The Hamburg innovation project actively involves all system-relevant stakeholders with the broad participation of the drone economy. The resulting blueprints are intended to serve as a benchmark for the nationwide designation of U-Space airspace.
The task of BLU-Space
In the highly complex Hamburg airspace, BLU-Space brings together air traffic data from various sources and platforms under real conditions for the first time. Numerous field tests are being carried out during the system development phases, while conceptual work is focussing on authorities (i.e. police) operational coordination and designation scenarios for U-space airspaces. In the long term, the aim is to create cross-interface blueprints for safe and economical air mobility across federal state borders.
Who is behind BLU-Space
BLU-Space consists of a multidisciplinary consortium of the Free and Hanseatic City of Hamburg, Deutsche Flugsicherung GmbH (DFS), HHLA Sky Hamburg, Hamburg Port Authority AöR and Karl Koerschulte GmbH. The consortium leader is Hamburg Aviation e.V.
The German Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport is funding BLU-Space with a total of 2.36 million euros as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.
Benefits
The safe integration of drones into air traffic offers numerous advantages - both for the economy and for society:
- Increased efficiency in logistics while at the same time decreasing the burden on ground traffic
- More precision in information gathering and faster deployment of equipment in emergencies
- Improved inspection of critical infrastructures
- Support for environmental protection through data delivery
- Strengthening civil protection and civil security
- Promoting innovation and economic development
Numerous communication interfaces are necessary for secure automated unmanned air traffic. However, risks in this regard can be reliably avoided through appropriate data protection.
Why Hamburg?
Urban airspace is generally characterised by a high degree of complexity. In addition to closed airspace in the proximity of airports, the critical infrastructure and other flight participants - helicopters, aircraft, drones in use for authorities and organisations with security tasks and many more - must be taken into account.
This is why BLU-Space was specifically initiated in Hamburg. As a test airspace for drone traffic, Hamburg offers ideal conditions with its dense urban population, large harbour and industrial areas and inner-city airports. In line with these challenges, rules and communication channels for urban drone traffic in Germany must be created.
Apart from this, Hamburg, as a European model city for UAM (Urban Air Mobility) with its Windrove project, offers an established, well-connected and multi-layered ecosystem of competent players from authorities, administration and politics as well as industry, research and science. These networking opportunities mean that projects are able to progress much quicker.
Milestone 1
Conceptualisation of the U-space architecture, taking into account all stakeholders and the legal framework
Milestone 2
Establishment of a test airspace
Milestone 3
Integration of UAS operators
Milestone 4
Conception of a platform for the integration of authorities and organisations with security tasks and definition of use cases
Milestone 5
Conclusions from real-world testing and definition of policy recommendations
Funding
As part of the mFUND innovation initiative, the BMDV has been funding data-based research and development projects for the digital and networked mobility of the future since 2016. This includes not only financial subsidies, but also support in terms of networking between stakeholders from politics, business and research as well as access to BMDV data portals.
The aim is to make the German transport system more flexible, reliable, sustainable and barrier-free. Both feasibility studies and large collaborative projects such as BLU-Space can be funded.
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