ENAIRE presents its business ideas, technology challenges and start-up contests to society
ENAIRE, Spain's air navigation service provider, through CRIDA, its research and development (R&D) subsidiary, held a demo day today at its central services to showcase its Open Innovation programme. The aim was to present the latest innovations in air navigation to society and to reaffirm ENAIRE's commitment to digitisation and sustainability in the sector.
This programme includes several contests: a contest aimed at students and endorsed by a professor to provide grants on the challenges in air traffic management; a Business Ideas contest aimed at future entrepreneurs; a Technology Challenges contest for research centres; and finally, a Business Challenges contest intended to accelerate startups that, thanks to their scalable business model and the use of new technologies, offer great growth potential.
ENAIRE's Open Innovation programme looks for talent outside the organisation as well, such as in universities and among entrepreneurs inside and outside the sector
More information at enaireopeninnovation.com.
With these initiatives, ENAIRE is seeking to turn 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, research centres and among entrepreneurs inside and outside the sector.
The event was opened by ENAIRE's CEO, Enrique Maurer, who emphasised “the vital importance of promoting innovation for a safe, efficient and sustainable airspace”. Maurer reiterated ENAIRE's commitment to innovation as a catalyst for progress in aviation. The Open Innovation programme was then presented by leading professionals from ENAIRE and CRIDA, who shared the programme's long-term strategy and goals.
A highlight of demo day was its wide range of phases and initiatives, such as:
- Cluster grants (group) and acknowledgements: at this stage, two universities that are active participants in the grants competitions, the University of Vigo and the University of Granada, discussed how the grants have boosted research at their universities.
- Business ideas and technology challenges: the winners, including the students, teachers and the Galician Research Centre (ITG), shared their visionary ideas and solutions to address the current challenges in the industry, which stood out for their creativity and impact potential.
- Startup: emerging companies such as Birdstop and AI Methods were presented, which are taking on specific challenges such as improving the information service for general aviation, and weather forecasting for aviation, respectively. These presentations highlighted the transformative potential of applied innovation.
The participants also had a chance to visit ENAIRE and CRIDA facilities and get a close-up look at the advances and ongoing operations.
This event not only served to demonstrate the innovative solutions that are shaping the future of aviation, but also to consolidate Spain's position as a leader in aviation innovation worldwide.
About CRIDA
CRIDA A.I.E. is a non-profit group set up by ENAIRE, the Polytechnic University of Madrid (UPM) and Ingeniería y Economía del Transporte, S.A. (INECO).
Its mission is to improve the efficiency and performance of Spain's air traffic management system by developing R&D ideas and projects that provide quantifiable solutions through system performance indicators, while considering the Spanish system as an integral part of a global system.
To do this, it must analyse the system's benefits quantitatively and systematically, diagnose problems and identify their causes, propose and design innovative alternatives, identify and validate the optimal alternatives, and actively collaborate in the process of implementing the selected solution.
The system must be analysed in direct collaboration with ENAIRE, as the main partner, thereby contributing to its mission of providing air navigation services safely while ensuring quality, efficiency and respect for the environment.
About ENAIRE
ENAIRE is the air navigation service provider in Spain.
As a company of the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility, it provides en route control services for all flights and overflights from five control centres in Madrid, Barcelona, Seville, Gran Canaria and Palma, as well as approach services to every airport in the country.
In addition, 46 airports receive communication, navigation and surveillance services from ENAIRE, which also maintains their air traffic control systems, and 21 of them, including the country's busiest airports, rely on its aerodrome air traffic control services.
ENAIRE is Europe's fourth largest air traffic manager and participates in the A6 Alliance, a coalition of air navigation providers responsible for over 80% of European air traffic, and which is seeking to modernise the air traffic management system. It is also a member of other international alliances promoting the Single European sky, such as SESAR Joint Undertaking, SESAR Deployment Manager, iTEC, CANSO and ICAO.
ENAIRE, as the responsible agency identified by the Ministry of Sustainable Transport and Mobility to implement the U-Space system in Spain, will, through its digital platform, provide the Common Information Services (CIS), which are essential to facilitate U-space services to drones and Urban Air Mobility in cooperation with local air traffic services, so that all types of aircraft can fly safely in the same airspace.
ENAIRE has received the highest score in Europe on the aviation safety key performance indicator for four years in a row. It has also been awarded the EFQM 500 Seal for its safe, efficient, innovative and sustainable management of air navigation services.
Number of the Department of communication +34 912 967 551
Communication department email address comunicacion@enaire.es