From May 13 to 15, Future Needs participated in Airspace World 2025 in Lisbon – a key event that brought together aviation stakeholders to explore the future of air mobility. Across three days of dynamic presentations, live demos, and engaging discussions, our team showcased our combined work across three aviation projects: RefMap Project, BURDI, and ImAFUSA.
Day 1: A Strong Start with BURDI and RefMap
We kicked off our activities with a presentation by Anna Palaiologk, who shared insights from the BURDI.eu project during the SESAR Joint Undertaking Walking Tour. Focusing on the costs, benefits, and business sustainability of U-space, Anna highlighted how emerging technologies can create viable new business models in aviation. She presented alongside Simon Devoldere from Skeyes, setting the stage for thoughtful discussions on U-space’s future.
Meanwhile, at the RefMap Project booth, our team demonstrated the RefMap platform – a tool designed to reduce the environmental impact of airlines and unmanned aircraft systems (UAS). Visitors had the chance to experience live demos and contribute valuable insights to help tailor the platform for real-world aviation needs.
Days 2–3: Expanding Horizons with ImAFUSA and VR Experiences
On Day 2, attendees could find part of our team at the SESAR Joint Undertaking Europe for Aviation booth, where Anna Palaiologk and Sophia Kalakou from ISCTE shed light on key factors influencing public acceptance of Innovative Aerial Mobility (IAM). This is a core focus of the ImAFUSA project – an area where current research is still limited, and where our work is helping to fill important gaps.
During the tour, the team engaged in discussion exploring topics such as the use of objective versus subjective approaches in social acceptance surveys. The day continued with interactive VR experiments that allowed visitors to explore issues like visual pollution and the potential impacts of IAM on urban environments.
Throughout the Event: Showcasing a Unified Aviation Research Roadmap
At Airspace World, Future Needs presented its Aviation Research Roadmap, bringing together our contributions across RefMap, BURDI.eu, and ImAFUSA. Our work focuses on:
- Developing new business models for innovative aviation tools
- Assessing the costs and benefits of U-space
- Quantifying the positive and negative impacts of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM)
Through live demos, presentations, and discussions, we gathered valuable input from aviation stakeholders – insights that will guide our next steps in advancing sustainable and innovative airspace solutions.
Looking Ahead
Airspace World 2025 was an energising gathering for sharing knowledge, demonstrating technological progress, and contributing to shaping the future of aviation. But our work continues beyond Lisbon.
As the Communication, Dissemination, and Exploitation leader of the Horizon Europe RefMap project, Future Needs is proud to be organising the Aviation Twin Transition (ATT) Clustering Event, taking place on 29 July 2025 at the Central Library of the National Technical University of Athens, Greece.
The call for abstracts is now open, and we invite researchers, practitioners, innovators, and policymakers to submit their contributions. We welcome work that advances the sustainable and digital transformation of aviation and Urban Air Mobility (UAM) – from technological innovations and business models to policy solutions and societal perspectives.
Submit your abstract today and join us in shaping the future of air transport!
