Name U-ELCOME
Status Completed
Tipology UAS integration: ensuring routine commercial drone operations in Europe by 2026
Project start: November 2022
Project end: October 2025
Objective
The U‑ELCOME project aimed to promote the implementation of U1 and U2 U‑space services through development, testing, and demonstration activities carried out across 15 locations in Spain, Italy, and France. Building on the EU regulatory framework for UAS and U‑space, the project explored use cases such as goods delivery, inspection flights, and aerial work in both controlled and uncontrolled airspace, offering a comprehensive view of typical missions for business, civil, and authority applications.
The objective was to establish and deploy U1/U2 solutions by integrating digital and physical infrastructure capabilities, enabling safe and efficient drone operations in diverse European environments. Through these activities, the project demonstrated the maturity, robustness, and readiness of U1/U2 services up to Technology Readiness Level 8 (TRL8).
Overview
Launched in November 2022 and completed in October 2025, U‑ELCOME was a three‑year European initiative coordinated by the EUROCONTROL Innovation Hub and involving 51 partners. As a SESAR Digital Sky Demonstrator, the project accelerated the uptake of U1 and U2 U‑space services through the deployment and validation of pre-operational U‑space ecosystems in 15 demonstration sites across Italy, Spain, and France.
U‑ELCOME implemented and validated key U‑space services—including e‑identification, geo‑awareness, flight planning management, tracking, tactical geofencing, strategic deconfliction, and emergency management—showcasing how these services support safe, routine, and scalable drone operations in urban and suburban environments.
Funded by the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under the Connecting Europe Facility, and supported by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, the project contributed to advancing smart traffic management solutions crucial for integrating drones into the broader Air Traffic Management (ATM) system.
OUR ROLE
We also promoted the adoption of the Pollicino box, an innovative device for increasing situational awareness and supporting safe drone operations within U‑space.
As part of our activities, we established a Landing and Take-off Platform for U‑space Test Purposes, designed to test U‑space functionalities, integrate digital and physical infrastructure, and evaluate service performance in practical scenarios. This platform enabled us to contribute directly to the maturation of U‑space services up to TRL8 and to support the broader European vision for safe and scalable drone operations.
Use cases
This project has received funding from European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA) under grant agreement No. 101079171.
U-ELCOME 21-EU-TG-U-ELCOME CEF-T-2021-SIMOBGEN