The SESAR 3 Knowledge Transfer Network

Informazioni relative al progetto

Engage 2

ID dell’accordo di sovvenzione: 101114648

DOI

10.3030/101114648

Data della firma CE 17 Maggio 2023

Data di avvio 1 Giugno 2023

Data di completamento 31 Dicembre 2027

Finanziato da

• Climate, Energy and Mobility

Costo totale

€ 3 846 476,86

Contributo UE

€ 3 346 287,50

Coordinato da

DEEP BLUE SRL
Italy

Periodic Reporting for period 3 - Engage 2 (The SESAR 3 Knowledge Transfer Network)

Periodo di rendicontazione: 2025-06-01 al 2026-05-31

Sintesi del contesto e degli obiettivi generali del progetto

Engage 2, building upon the foundation laid by the previous Engage Knowledge Transfer Network (KTN), aims to address the evolving needs of the aviation sector by equipping the next generation of aviation professionals with the skills required for the digital era. The project seeks to create a robust alliance between research and operational implementation, thereby contributing to the growth of the SESAR Digital Academy and the transformation of air traffic management (ATM).
The project is designed to enhance the ATM community's capabilities by fostering a seamless integration of knowledge and innovation. Through a lean and efficient implementation strategy, driven by a cohesive and highly effective consortium, Engage 2 is able to maximize its impact. This is achieved not only through direct funding of PhDs and other projects, such as catalyst funds but also by revamping and improving the Engage Wiki that will serve as the main repository of valuable data and opportunities for researchers in the ATM field.

Lavoro eseguito dall’inizio del progetto fino alla fine del periodo coperto dalla relazione e principali risultati finora ottenuti

During its second year (June 2024 – May 2025), Engage 2 has successfully delivered its activities on time. The wiki was migrated to a more user-friendly platform with regularly updated content, and the matchmaking app was developed and opened to real users for consolidation testing. Contracts were finalised with 7 PhD candidates and 7 catalyst fund projects, and a new initiative was launched to support MSc students with mentoring and career guidance, with 4 students already benefiting. Financial support was also provided to both PhD and MSc students for participation in relevant events.
In Year 2, the project organised its first winter school in Belgrade, the first hackathon, and the first thematic workshop on new entrants, alongside five other cross-fertilisation/flagship workshops and a panel on career pathways and inspirational tours.
Technical work on future skills and competencies continued, with the Skill Transformation Map and Recommendations on Pathways for Skills and Career Development submitted to S3JU.
Engage 2 also promoted its activities across the ATM and aviation community at major events such as the SESAR Annual Conference 2025, EASN Conference 2024, SIDs 2024, ASW 2025, and the European Researchers’ Night, using job cards and videos to highlight career opportunities in aviation. Finally, collaboration was started or reinforced with CANSO, AviAll, Women in Aviation, GAAST, Festival della Scienza, Fox ATM.

During Year 3, Engage 2 completed all tasks on schedule. The project’s wiki platform was continuously enriched with technical content, and its management was transitioned from Innaxis to Deep Blue to ensure continuity. Concurrently, the matchmaking application underwent extensive consolidation testing and became officially available for download on both the Google Play and Apple App Stores.
In terms of research and mentoring, the project monitored its 7 PhDs and finalized the 7 catalyst fund projects from Wave 1. All research beneficiaries delivered their first technical reports, which were reviewed by the Engage 2 mentors to ensure scientific alignment. Furthermore, the MSc mentoring and career guidance initiative scaled up significantly, with 11 students now receiving active guidance, while financial travel support continued to be granted to both PhD and MSc cohorts to facilitate their participation in core technical events. Additionally, the core technical mapping of university programmes for future skills was finalized.
Scientific and capacity-building milestones included the second Summer School in Braunschweig, a thematic workshop on multimodality in Athens, and inspirational student tours under the "Tomorrow’s Voices" initiative. These events were complemented by several cross-fertilisation and flagship workshops. Parallel to these technical efforts, communication activities successfully expanded the stakeholder community to 813 members via newsletters and dedicated channels. The project promoted its results at key aviation conferences (EASN 2025, SIDs 2025, ASW 2026) and public outreach events like the European Researchers’ Night and Girls in Aviation. On these occasions, project-developed job cards and videos were used to highlight aviation career pathways, while strategic collaborations were reinforced with partners such as CANSO, AviAll, and Women in Aviation.

Progressi oltre lo stato dell’arte e potenziale impatto previsto (incluso l’impatto socioeconomico e le implicazioni sociali più ampie del progetto fino ad ora)

Engage 2’s core objective is to foster cross-fertilization of knowledge by integrating insights from various disciplines and promoting innovative, forward-thinking research within the ATM domain. A significant focus is the advancement of the ATM concepts roadmap, which will be a central feature of the newly enhanced Wiki. This collaborative resource is intended to bridge the gap between cutting-edge research and the practical challenges faced by SESAR, thereby strengthening the ties within the aviation community.
The project also aims to engage students by helping them identify opportunities in ATM-related studies and investigating the future skills needed in this sector. By attracting students to the ATM field, Engage 2 seeks to ensure a steady entry of new talent. Additionally, the project promotes a triple-helix collaboration model, bringing together academia, industry, and policymakers to work towards shared goals in the ATM field.
Over its four-year duration, Engage 2 will implement more than 30 activities designed to promote collaboration within the aviation community. These activities include two hackathons, three open days, and three summer schools, all aimed at fostering a dynamic and interactive learning environment. Additionally, the project is developing a Matchmaking app to facilitate the creation of profiles and the exploration of joint opportunities by students, universities and companies.
By addressing the identified needs and challenges in the ATM sector, Engage 2 is expected to have a significant impact. It will inspire and educate future aviation professionals, enhance the operational implementation of research findings and ultimately contribute to the evolution of air traffic management in the digital age. This comprehensive approach ensures that the project's outcomes will be both substantial and far-reaching, benefiting the entire aviation community.