The BLU-Space project aims to develop a system for managing unmanned urban drone traffic in Germany, integrating air traffic data with information from various sources and platforms to create comprehensive blueprints under real conditions. This project is expected to contribute significantly to safe and efficient air mobility. The project is funded with 2.36 million euros by the Federal Ministry of Digital and Transport as part of the mFUND innovation initiative.
Integrating drone technology into urban airspace holds substantial societal and economic benefits. It reduces ground-based traffic, enhances logistics efficiency, facilitates rapid equipment delivery and targeted information gathering for emergency response, supports environmental protection through efficient data collection, enhances security by monitoring critical infrastructure, fosters economic development and innovation across industries, ensures data privacy and airspace security, and reinforces civil protection and security.
The BLU-Space consortium comprises various municipal authorities, companies, business partners, and air traffic control entities. Together, they plan to establish the first European test airspace for a comprehensive drone traffic management system in Hamburg, referred to as a U-space airspace. Hamburg offers optimal conditions for this initiative due to its complex infrastructure, including densely populated urban areas, extensive port and industrial zones, and inner-city airports. These features make it an ideal location for developing future-proof solutions for Germany.
U-space airspaces represent the digital groundwork for a transformative mode of mobility, essential for expanding drone usage that enables autonomous flights beyond visual line of sight, remotely piloted from control centers. This entails sharing aircraft positions among all relevant systems in a uniformly and securely managed U-space. A primary objective of BLU-Space, slated for completion by mid-2026, is to digitally integrate pertinent authorities, emergency service centers, and transportation companies into the U-space framework.
The project, funded by the Federal Ministry for Digital Affairs and Transport (BMDV) under the mFUND innovation program, aims to harness collaborative synergies among diverse stakeholders. Hamburg, recognized as a European model city for Urban Air Mobility (UAM), boasts a well-established, interconnected, and multifaceted ecosystem. Key players from public authorities, administration, politics, industry, and academia are pooling their expertise and efforts to develop solutions for drones‘ safe, efficient, socially accepted, and sustainable utilization.
Senator for Economics and Innovation, Dr. Melanie Leonhard, commented, “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.”
Post Image Credit- Hamburg Aviation
