MPC and PRIME Research Award Airbus’ Urban Air Mobility Organization the Innovation Award 2018

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MUNICH, November 21, 2018 /PRNewswire=KYODO JBN/ --

     An independent expert jury has selected Airbus for the Innovation Award

2018. The jury concluded that the future of urban air mobility can only be

addressed by comprehensive concepts rather than by individual aircraft.

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(Photo: https://mma.prnewswire.com/media/787997/Innovation_Award_2018.jpg )

    "Traffic jams, environmental pollution and noise emissions are the most

important challenges in today's urban mobility. In 2050 approximately 80% of

the European population will live in urban areas. This year's AIRTEC focuses on

'Aerospace meets Automotive - Innovation in Mobility' and presents many

important concepts for tomorrow's urban mobility. Against this background, the

prize awarded this year by the MPC and PRIME Research for the most innovative

urban mobility concept at AIRTEC is of particular importance," said Olaf

Guennewig (SGS Fresenius) member of the jury.

    Airbus, with its on-demand helicopter booking platform, VOOM, is already

offering an urban air mobility service in São Paulo and Mexico City and plans

to further expand the service in 2019. VOOM will continue to lay the groundwork

for the company's longer-term vision of urban mobility using electric vertical

take-off and landing (eVTOL) vehicles. The company's work on eVTOL technical

demonstrators, Vahana and CityAirbus, as well as on air traffic management

solutions, underline the seriousness of Airbus' efforts. Ulrich Nies, Chairman

MPC summarizes: "Airbus' investments in urban air mobility in Europe and around

the globe show the seriousness with which Airbus seeks solution for our future

mobility."

    According to Manfred Spaltenberger, member of the board of the German

Institute for Inventions and member of the jury, innovations are the basis for

prosperity, welfare and an improvement in the quality of life. New thinking and

approaches for the global urban environment and the mobility of the future are

urgently needed. The concepts and innovations of today's Innovation Award

winner Airbus are a building block for this.

    During the handover of the award, Joerg Mueller, Head of Programmes and

Strategy in Airbus' Urban Air Mobility (UAM) organization, said: "With the

rapid advances in electrification, autonomy and connectivity, large scale urban

mobility through a new class of air vehicles is becoming a real option. At

Airbus, we are building the foundations to make urban air mobility a reality,

in close cooperation with regulators, communities and partners."

    Bernd Hitzemann, sector lead Automotive Inisghts at PRIME Research adds:

"The mobility of the future is electric, connected, shared, and the vertical

take-off and landing technology 'VTOL' opens up the third dimension to new

concepts and players. Vahana, CityAirbus and the Pop.Up Next concept prove the

technology leadership of Airbus in 'urban air mobility' and closely came ahead

of the strong start-up competitors 'Lilium' and 'Volocopter'."

    The Innovation Award jury consists of experts from the Automotive and

Aviation Industry. It is supported by the consulting firm PRIME Research, a

Cision company.

Contact:

     Bernd Hitzemann     

PRIME Research     

hitzemann@prime-research.com     

+49176-10405594

     Ulrich Nies     

MPC     

ulrich.nies@mpc-ev.de     

+49173-6923707

     Gregor Kursell     

Airbus     

gregor.kursell@airbus.com     

+49896-0734255

Source: MPC and PRIME Research