Hamburg is further expanding its pioneering role in the drone industry. With its new Urban Air Mobility (UAM) strategy, Hamburg is establishing a comprehensive strategic framework for the use of drones and automated aviation systems in urban areas. The strategy process was initiated by the Ministry of Economic Affairs, Labour and Innovation and developed in collaboration with stakeholders from business, academia and public administration. It was closely supported by the aviation cluster Hamburg Aviation e.V. and the drone network Windrove.
Dr Melanie Leonhard, Senator for Economic Affairs, Labour and Innovation: “Hamburg is set to become a European hub for urban air mobility – a place where new drone applications are developed, tested and rapidly put into practice. With our strategy, we are creating the conditions necessary for innovative technologies to be deployed safely and effectively in the city.”
Drones and automated aviation systems offer a wide range of opportunities for cities, public authorities and businesses. Hamburg recognised this potential early on and has been a European model city for Urban Air Mobility since 2018, boasting a strong network of industry, research institutions and start-ups in the field of unmanned aviation systems.
With the recently published UAM strategy, Hamburg is creating a structured framework for the further development of this ecosystem for the first time. The aim is to develop the metropolitan region into an internationally recognised leading location for urban air mobility applications by 2030. The fields of application in Hamburg are wide-ranging: they extend from infrastructure inspections and surveying, through logistics, to medical transport, disaster management and support for public safety authorities and organisations (BOS) such as the police and fire service.
A particular challenge here is the complex airspace over Hamburg, with two airports and largely controlled airspace. The strategy addresses these framework conditions and defines six key areas of action for establishing an efficient and safe UAM ecosystem: application areas and value chains, technology and industry, infrastructure, financing, education and training, and regulation. Two fundamental guiding principles run through all these areas of action: social acceptance and the environmental compatibility of the new technology.
The strategy is the result of a broad-based participatory process involving representatives from industry, start-ups, research institutions and public bodies. The aim was to bring together perspectives from technology development, regulation and practical application.
Implementation is also taking place in close cooperation with the drone industry. Building on existing pilot projects, the aim is to create scalable applications and new economic opportunities for the sector in the future.