This is an open, free workshop taking place as part of Airspace World 2026 in Lisbon on May 27.
Participation is free, but registration is required.
Register your interest here
Workshop Details
- Address: FIL Lisbon Exhibition and Congress Centre, Lisbon, Portugal
- Location: Room/Sala 1 on the ground floor inside the FIL Meeting Centre (Conference Centre) – Google Maps
- Date: 27 May 2026, Wednesday
- Time: The workshop starts at 13:00 (Portugal time)
- Contact person: egle@futureneeds.eu, +370 67811786
Picture drones navigating your city, delivering parcels, supporting emergency services, reducing traffic congestion. It sounds compelling. But would you embrace it? Would noise or privacy concerns hold you back? And could widespread drone adoption actually help us build greener, less congested cities?
These are not hypothetical questions. They will determine whether Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) succeeds.
The commercial drone service market is projected to grow by 25% over the next five years, and IAM is already beginning to reshape how European cities move people and goods.
But technology alone is not enough.
Real-world deployment demands more than innovation. Can we build enough public trust? Is regulatory clarity keeping pace with technological change? And are the right sectors truly collaborating to make this work? The path forward is anything but linear, how will societies, institutions, and individuals respond to a technology that is as promising as it is unfamiliar?
About the workshop
We are exploring the drone market’s potential – but from your perspective. Which industries do you believe hold the greatest promise? And which organisations simply cannot be left out of the equation?
Whether you are a UAS operator, a researcher, a policymaker, a business representative, or a curious citizen, this is your opportunity to help shape what innovative air mobility looks like across Europe.
Working in groups, participants will:
- Explore business opportunities across the drone services market
- Identify the key stakeholders and organisations influencing — or influenced by — IAM in their city or country
- Reflect on the industries and dimensions of IAM integration
- Contribute their perspectives through guided exercises designed to capture societal readiness and define priorities for successful implementation
By combining opportunity and risk mapping, collaborative discussion, and hands-on exploration, this workshop creates a dynamic space to exchange insights, challenge assumptions, and co-develop informed approaches to IAM integration and decision-making.
The workshop is designed as a flexible and participatory experience. While each session builds on the previous discussions, participants are welcome to join only the sessions that are most relevant or interesting to them, depending on their availability and interests. You are equally welcome to stay for the full workshop and contribute to the broader co-creation process throughout the day.
Agenda
13:00 – 13:15 | Welcome & Introductions
13:15 – 14:15 | The future of drone services entrepreneurship
14:15 – 14:30 | Break: complimentary coffee and light snacks
14:30 – 15:15 | The IAM Ecosystem in EU cities
15:15 – 15:30 | Break: complimentary coffee and light snacks
15:30 – 16:15 | Co-Designing Levels of IAM Societal Readiness
16:15 – 16:45 | Closing Session & Open Discussion
16:45 – 17:00 | Workshop evaluation
Register your interest here
About the organiser
The workshop is led by Future Needs, a recognised expert in Innovative Air Mobility with a strong and growing European network. Bringing together modelling experts, researchers, vertiport providers, and drone companies, Future Needs works at the intersection of technology, policy, and society.
By joining this workshop, you are not only contributing to the discussion, but also connecting to a wider community where collaboration starts, ideas evolve into initiatives, and the future of IAM is shaped collectively.
