Recommendations towards EASA

DronePort’s introduction to the EU UAS Test Center Alliance today allowed for meaningful interactions with fellow members. This initial meeting set the stage for collaborative efforts aimed at enhancing the testing capabilities of UAS across Europe. Over the next few weeks, DronePort will participate in various working groups focused on formulating the needs of UAS test centers. These efforts will culminate in a comprehensive white paper, which will be presented to the European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) with recommendations to improve test center operations and capabilities.

The EU UAS Test Center Alliance

The EU UAS Test Center Alliance was initiated in March 2023, stemming from the EUROCONTROL Network of U-space Stakeholders. The alliance was formed to address the specific need for test centers to exchange ideas, experiences, and foster collaborations that drive joint projects between test centers and other stakeholders. This initiative supports Flagship Action 14 in the EU Drone Strategy 2.0, which emphasizes creating an EU network of civil-defence drone testing centers to facilitate exchanges between civilian and defence sectors.

Currently, the alliance comprises 35 organizations and test sites from 17 European countries. The network is coordinated by DLR during its initial period, with an initiative team of seven elected members overseeing network development and administration.

Mission and current activities

The mission of the EU UAS Test Center Alliance is to create a platform that fosters communication and exchange within the European UAS test site community. This platform supports the development of the European UAS ecosystem and leverages synergies between test sites, countries, and regions for both civil and defence purposes. The network aims to achieve this mission through cooperative and inclusive actions that serve industry, research, and regulatory stakeholders.

Towards a new era in aviation

DronePort is eager to contribute to and benefit from the collaborative environment of the EU UAS Test Center Alliance. By working together with other members, DronePort aims to enhance its testing capabilities in order to achieve our mission of being the living lab for carbon free, automated and autonomous Urban & Advanced Air Mobility.