AMSTERDAM, 1 December 2020 - At the first day of the online conference ADW Hybrid, a first batch of fourteen European cities and regions, members of the UAM Initiative Cities Community (UIC2), presented their ‘Manifesto on the Multilevel Governance of the Urban Sky’.

Cities and regions across the European Union see the opportunities of urban air mobility (UAM) services characterised from very-low altitude air traffic with zero emission air vehicles (e.g drones and air taxis). But they also see new tasks and responsibilities, which extend the governance of U-Space down to the level of local and regional authorities. Therefore, this manifesto pleads for explicitly acknowledging the role of cities and regions in the multilevel governance of U-Space and giving them a deciding role as competent authority, along with other pertinent stakeholders, in the governance of U-Space, or UAM, operations in their territories.

Rob Welten, Chairman of Euregio, Netherlands/Germany says: “U-Space will open up a new chapter for cities and regions. The activities in low level airspace are going to interact with the city on the ground, and this brings new opportunities and responsibilities for us cities. With the manifesto, we want to kickstart our collaboration with other aviation and non-aviation authorities and stakeholders to make sure U-Space is going to be a success.”

And Dr. Christian Scharpf, Lord Mayor in the City of Ingolstadt, Germany stated: “In Ingolstadt we welcome UAM as an innovative mobility solution. Whether it is about air taxis or the transportation of medical supplies with drones, it is important that we anticipate and design UAM services that are safe, reliable and fit in with local needs and circumstances. Which is why we support this manifesto.”

Fourteen cities and regions across Europe have already supported the manifesto. As of 1st December 2020, these are Aachen, Amsterdam, Nouvelle Aquitaine, Ingolstadt, Hamburg, Ljubljana, Liège, Malaga, Tampere, Northern Hesse, Oulu, Enschede, Trikala and Metropolis GZM. Starting from today 1st Dec 2020, more cities and regions are welcome to support until 12 February 2021. For details please visit www.amsterdamdroneweek.com/manifesto

About UAM Initiative Cities Community (UIC2)
UAM Initiative Cities Community (UIC2) of the EU’s Smart Cities Marketplace - formerly known as EIP-SCC Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Initiative – is the voice of EU’s Smart Cities working on a diverse set of topics related to the emergence of the UAM ecosystem. When it comes to the governance of the urban sky, the members of the UIC2 recognise the importance of multilevel governance for harmonised and universal U-Space regulation at EU level.

Amsterdam Drone Week 
Amsterdam Drone Week is the global platform for sharing knowledge on current air solutions, potential innovations and vital regulations. Creating valuable connections with all key players, knowledge institutes and authorities to co-create and cooperate to build the UAM ecosystem. Through virtual summits, expert sessions and matchmaking, ADW connects the entire UAM value chain around drone regulations, new technology and future solutions. For more information and ticketing visit: www.amsterdamdroneweek.com.