wo days full of innovations, exciting discussions and visionary ideas: The first Urban Air Hamburg, organised by Windrove, the network promoting the urban air mobility ecosystem in the Hamburg metropolitan region, impressively demonstrated that the future of urban air mobility is within reach. Experts from business, science, politics and start-ups discussed new technologies, regulatory challenges, economic prospects and the social acceptance of drone technologies in Hamburg on 5 and 6 February. In addition to the top-class conference programme and an interactive exhibition, the focus was on networking in a relaxed atmosphere.
Into the future with Urban Air Mobility: Germany as a pioneer?
In his presentation, Dr Daniel Phiesel, Head of the Unmanned Aviation Coordination Unit at the Federal Ministry for Digital and Transport Affairs (BMDV), emphasised the profound transformation that aviation is facing: ‘With Advanced Air Mobility (AAM), we are experiencing the biggest revolution in aviation in decades. Drones are already being used successfully for critical infrastructure or transport to remote areas. But AAM must be there for everyone.’ Acceptance in society is a crucial point: ‘AAM must be integrated into everyday life. Only then will it have a sustainable future.’
To support this development, the BMDV is providing new research and funding. The first real-world laboratories for vertiports are to be established as early as 2025 in order to test the technological and regulatory implementation in practice. In addition, an investor conference is to be launched in line with the BMDV's AAM strategy in order to further strengthen Germany as an attractive location for AAM.
Hamburg as an innovation hub for urban air mobility
Urban Air Hamburg made it clear that Hamburg is ideally placed to become a leading centre for urban air mobility. Kay Wackwitz, CEO of Drone Industry Insights, emphasised: ‘Hamburg is the third largest aviation location in the world. The city has the technological foundations, the political support and the innovation network to successfully establish UAM. But now it's also a matter of taking the path - because the first-mover advantage only exists once.’ Christina Große-Möller, Windrove project manager, added: ‘With Windrove, we have created a strong network that thrives on the commitment of companies, research and science as well as policymakers and regional authorities.’
Social acceptance as a key factor
A key topic at the conference was the social acceptance of drones. Kay Wackwitz emphasised the different regional developments: ‘While Asia is already realising extensive drone projects, acceptance in Europe still remains a challenge. Paris is focusing on individual routes, London and Seoul are focusing on business travel - but a harmonised European network is still lacking.’
Jannes Marquardt, research assistant and doctoral student at KU Eichstädt-Ingolstadt, explained the key factors for the market penetration of new technologies: ‘It is not enough for a technology to be feasible and profitable - it must also be perceived as useful and user-friendly. Decisive factors are the subjective sense of security, the perceived benefits and the social environment.’ Franziska Fink, a research assistant at the University Hospital in Halle, provided an example of the integration of acceptance factors into the development process with ADApp, a drone-based medicine delivery system that offers great advantages, particularly during quarantine periods or for rural regions.
From idea to business model: challenges and success factors
The second day of the event focussed on the economic opportunities of Urban Air Mobility. In the ‘Mistakes make you successful’ panel, entrepreneurs discussed why start-ups often fail and what lessons can be learnt from this. There was a consensus that regulatory uncertainties and long approval processes pose challenges. Dr Katharina Ostaszweski, Co-Founder and Managing Director of PhySens Rail GmbH, also reported on her experiences in her keynote speech: ‘In Switzerland, approval took three months, in Germany one year. That is a decisive competitive disadvantage.’
Another topic was funding: Hamburg offers over 100 start-up programmes, but many founders do not take advantage of these opportunities in time. Experts recommended making targeted use of networks and competitions, finding out about funding programmes at an early stage and making contact with investors.
Urban Air Hamburg 2025 has shown that urban air mobility and drones are not a distant vision of the future, but need to be actively shaped. Cem Uyanik, founder and CEO of Urban Ray: ‘The industry is becoming increasingly attractive and the market is growing worldwide. We have the regulatory framework for this in Europe and are continuing to shape it. But if we lose our pragmatism, we risk losing our competitive edge. That's why we need to act now to secure Europe's leading position and create exportable solutions.’