Delivering the Digital European Sky

Through its Exploratory Research, the SESAR 3 JU looks beyond the current R&D and what is already identified in the European ATM Master Plan.

The aim is to investigate new ideas, concepts, and technologies, but also to challenge pre-conceived notions about air traffic management and the aviation value chain.

Within the context of SESAR 2020, the SESAR JU and its members have been working on two waves of industrial research projects, aiming to deliver more digital solutions to transform Europe’s ATM system.

In 2019, the first wave of SESAR 2020 industrial research projects came to a close, delivering a number of solutions (as part of Release 9) to the necessary level of maturity to make them available for pre-industrialisation (Technology readiness level 6 or V3).

As with many things, ATM stakeholders need to try before investing in new technologies, which is why SESAR members and partners carry out flight trials and other demonstrations in real-life environments involving a wide range of operational experts, from airports, air traffic control centres, airlines, business aviation and general aviation.