ImAFUSA at the SESAR JU Annual Conference 2025

ImAFUSA project representatives were proud to participate in the SESAR JU Annual Conference 2025, held on February 18 in Brussels Airport.

The event brought together over 500 key players from across the aviation and air traffic management (ATM) sectors to discuss the future of European airspace and the recently adopted European ATM Master Plan—a strategic roadmap for ATM innovation aimed at enhancing connectivity, economic growth and innovation across Europe.

At the ImAFUSA booth at the SESAR JU Annual Conference 2025

Showcasing ImAFUSA’s Unique Research Focus

As one of the 43 SESAR projects showcased at the conference, the ImAFUSA booth attracted significant interest from fellow researchers, industry representatives, and policymakers.

A key point of discussion was the particular focus of ImAFUSA within SESAR’s research portfolio. While many projects focus on technical advancements such as AI-driven automation and cybersecurity, ImAFUSA stands out for its emphasis on critical societal dimensions of unmanned aerial mobility (UAM) including:

🔹 Environmental impact (noise pollution, visual pollution, air quality)

🔹 Safety concerns of citizens

🔹 Socioeconomic factors (accessibility, affordability, public space use, economic development)

Conference attendees were particularly interested in how ImAFUSA’s research is developing performance indicators to quantify these societal impacts—offering valuable insights that can inform policy and guide the responsible integration of UAM into European cities.

Helena Almeida, an ImAFUSA researcher with ISCTE demonstrates the VR experiments used to explore perceptions of visual pollution by drones in different settings.

Engaging Discussions and Hands-On Demonstrations

Representatives from Future Needs and ISCTE - University Institute of Lisbon engaged with visitors, presenting the project’s latest findings and showcasing an interactive VR simulation developed to study perceptions of visual pollution from drones in different environments.

🔹 Future Needs, leading the development of socioeconomic indicators, discussed how these metrics will enable data-driven decision-making for policymakers.

🔹 ISCTE researchers demonstrated their VR experiments, allowing participants to experience and assess drone presence in cityscapes and rural settings—offering a unique perspective on societal acceptance of UAM.

This work will allow ImAFUSA to build a framework to mitigate impacts and facilitate societal acceptance. Several other SESAR project teams expressed interest in exploring collaborations with ImAFUSA, recognising the importance of societal acceptance in shaping the future of European air mobility.

Shaping the Future of Urban Air Mobility

“Understanding and addressing societal acceptance is crucial to ensuring that future urban air mobility systems are not only technologically advanced but also publicly embraced and seamlessly integrated into European life. By contributing to SESAR’s strategic research and innovation agenda, ImAFUSA is helping to lay the groundwork for a sustainable and widely supported UAM ecosystem,” said Anna Palaiologk, a transport economist and the founder of Future Needs.

We extend our gratitude to SESAR Joint Undertaking for providing this platform to showcase our research, engage in meaningful discussions, and connect with other pioneering projects. The enthusiasm and engagement we witnessed reaffirm the importance of our mission.

Stay updated on ImAFUSA’s latest developments by following us on LinkedIn, X, and Bluesky or explore our website for more insights into our work on societal acceptance of UAM.

Authored by: Pavlos Zafiropoulos, Dissemination and Communication Leader, Future Needs