The i2CAT Foundation has been granted the Interreg project Aerial Uptake

The initiative aims at improving public policy relating to the drone sector

The i2CAT Foundation has been granted the Interreg Europe project Aerial Uptake. The project wants to enhance innovation delivery policies and is expected to impact directly on public policy relating to drones through knowledge transfer, exchange of good practices and experiences among different European countries and, ultimately, improve current regulations at a local level.

Aerial Uptake will be funded by the European Commission under the Interreg Programme, which is designed to stimulate cooperation among member states of the European Union on different levels. In this regard, this project brings together local and regional public authorities and key players of the UAS sector from 6 European regions with the objective of being pioneers in the creation of a single European drone market.

The project members will cooperate to unleash the potential of UAS technology for civil and commercial usages. One of the main objectives of Aerial Uptake in its 3-year span is the creation of an action plan that will be the first step towards the future application of public instruments to enhance and promote the Catalan drone sector.

The commercial UAS (unmanned aerial system) industry, commonly known as drones, is a rapidly expanding sector on a global scale, bearing large potentials for economic growth, jobs and innovation. Aerial Uptake will explore and address the key needs and bottlenecks of UAS innovation and commercialisation.

The members of Aerial Uptake are: the Municipality of Enschede (NL, coordinator), the Province of Overijssel (NL), the City of Osijek (HR), the Rzeszow Regional Development Agency (PL), the Preston City Council (UK), the University of Central Lancashire (UK), the RISE Research Institutes of Sweden AB (SE) and the i2CAT Foundation.