-Puglia region’s international forum at Expo 2025-

OSAKA, May 20, 2025 /ANSA=Kyodo JBN/--

The aerospace industry is set to play a key role in the transition towards a more sustainable future, promoting innovative solutions that are able to reduce the environmental impact of mobility and territorial development, especially through the advanced air mobility systems.

This topic, along with many others, were discussed at the international forum “Building a new ecosystem for Advanced Air Mobility”, an event promoted by the Puglia Region and the Aerospace Technology District (DTA) inside the Italy Pavilion.

The event was opened by the institutional welcome of Ambassador Mario Vattani, the Commissioner General for Italy at Expo 2025 Osaka, and it was moderated by Munish Khurana, Senior manager ATM/UTMBusiness development at Eurocontrol.

“The idea is to use advanced air mobility to reach the objective of sustainability”, explained Khurama.

The European Union has defined the so-called Drone Strategy 2.0 for a Smart and Sustainable Unmanned Aircraft Eco-System in Europe, a strategy for 2.0 drones, smart and sustainable aircraft.

“This strategy promotes the technological and industrial development to create a free and nearby market of drone services”, added Khurana.

The event at the Italy Pavilion provided an occasion to attempt to outline the roadmap for the future of air mobility, comparing the sector’s growth policies in Europe and Japan as well as showcasing successful initiatives and potential developments in the sectors of infrastructure, aircraft and services of Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

A virtuous cycle that contributes to the “growth and the development of these technologies, of these solutions that will soon change our world of transportation”, stressed Giuseppe Acierno, the president and CEO of DTA.

A future that will become reality in “only a matter of time” because “it is inevitable” and therefore it is important to “communicate Puglia’s abilities, its system and its infrastructures” to ensure that the region can “continue to have a technological leadership on these themes”, added Acierno.

An example is Puglia’s infrastructure GATB, Grottaglie Airport Test Bed, a new research facility funded by the Puglia Region, which is being completed near the airport of Taranto-Grottaglie.

In this context, the role of Eurocontrol, the organization dedicated to the support of European aviation, and of national authorities like ENAC, the National Civil Aviation Agency and JCAB, the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau, becomes fundamental to create the ecosystem necessary to support the development and management of AAM operations.

Many actors were involved in the panel, starting with D-Flight/ENAV, represented by Alberto Iovino, who is responsible for compliance control.

Iovino recalled how Puglia has a “technological district” with which ENAV often works in symbiosis for the “development of innovative mobility”, which is “the future of air mobility”.

"Editorial initiative co-funded by the European Union for the Puglia Region with resources of PR Puglia FESR - FSE+ 2021-2027" 

Source: Apulia Region