15 Mar The Niu.link drone project of Aeroports de Catalunya endowed with 1.2 MEUR by the POCTEFA cross-border program.

Aeroports de Catalunya already has the funding to develop the Niu.link project, which foresees the creation of cross-border corridors for drones to transport bio sanitary material. The aim is to benefit hospitals, health centres, laboratories, and citizens of the Pyrenees from territories affected by depopulation processes that require an advanced solution in biosanitary transport.

The project has received 1.2 million euros from the Interreg VI Program – Spain-France and Andorra POCTEFA 2021-2027, which finances cross-border cooperation projects designed and managed by entities on both sides of the Pyrenees. On the other hand, the consortium created and led by Aeroports de Catalunya to take this project forward is made up of several partners who, together, contribute another €800,000.

Niu.link also plans to run an experimental vertiport in Lleida-Alguaire (station for drones) to study transport between corridors, with the aim of replicating it in different formats depending on the territory where it is located.

This initiative will promote the Pyrenees as a focus of innovation and European knowledge in the development of unmanned aerial vehicle technologies and will contribute to the decarbonisation of existing mobility services that are now carried out by road.

The partners that make up the consortium are:

PildoLabs: service provider for air navigation. It will contribute its capabilities in the design of corridors, in order to allow the integration and safe management of operations.

Pirineos Drone: specialist company in management with drones for inspections, specializing in rural and mountain environments.

Universitat Oberta de Catalunya: will analyze the feasibility of implementing logistics corridors that allow the supply of medical equipment in cross-border mountain areas.

University of Lleida: will analyze the territory and the cartography of the proposed corridors.

University of Barcelona: will prepare a report based on the quantification of the economic impact and social benefits of cross-border biosanitary transport services with drones.

Innov’ATM: will provide innovative solutions for airspace security. This company is a leader in France in air traffic management for drones.

Instadrone: French company for sale, distribution and integration of drone technologies. It has a service that receives biomedical samples between Puigcerdà hospital and Inovie Biomedilab, in Saillagouse.