Objective
The DiFeRent project (Digital Flight enhanced Rules, enabling new technologies) addresses the urgent need for a new set of flight rules — Digital Flight Rules (DFR) — to safely integrate emerging aviation technologies such as Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) including Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), Vertical Capable Aircraft (VCA), and Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) flights into shared airspace. Current flight rules (VFR/IFR) were designed for manned aviation, and are not scalable or suitable for highly automated or remotely piloted operations. DiFeRent proposes a novel, interoperable, and automation-ready regulatory framework built around flight rules that take advantage of modern digital technologies, hence Digital Flight Rules. DFR will complement existing flight rules while enabling safe, efficient, and equitable access for all aircraft types, a crucial step in the evolution of the overall ICAO framework to support a highly automated ATM environment.
The project will explore Digital Flight Rules at Technology Readiness Level 1 (TRL1), defining operational concepts, use cases, and validation strategies. It will assess technological enablers such as e-conspicuity, detect-and-avoid systems, and aircraft-to-aircraft communication. Through stakeholder engagement, simulations, and analytical modelling, DiFeRent will evaluate alternative implementations of DFR, identifying the most acceptable candidate. DiFeRent will develop a roadmap for deploying DFR and propose amendments to the Standardised European Rules of the Air (SERA) and ICAO Annex 2, plus related documents, that would make it usable in Europe and world-wide respectively.
Fields of science (EuroSciVoc)
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
CORDIS classifies projects with EuroSciVoc, a multilingual taxonomy of fields of science, through a semi-automatic process based on NLP techniques. See: The European Science Vocabulary.
- engineering and technology mechanical engineering vehicle engineering aerospace engineering aircraft
- social sciences social geography transport transport planning air traffic management
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Keywords
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Project’s keywords as indicated by the project coordinator. Not to be confused with the EuroSciVoc taxonomy (Fields of science)
Programme(s)
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
Multi-annual funding programmes that define the EU’s priorities for research and innovation.
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HORIZON.2.5 - Climate, Energy and Mobility
MAIN PROGRAMME
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Topic(s)
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Calls for proposals are divided into topics. A topic defines a specific subject or area for which applicants can submit proposals. The description of a topic comprises its specific scope and the expected impact of the funded project.
Funding Scheme
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
Funding scheme (or “Type of Action”) inside a programme with common features. It specifies: the scope of what is funded; the reimbursement rate; specific evaluation criteria to qualify for funding; and the use of simplified forms of costs like lump sums.
HORIZON-JU-RIA - HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions
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Call for proposal
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
Procedure for inviting applicants to submit project proposals, with the aim of receiving EU funding.
(opens in new window) HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03
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Net EU financial contribution. The sum of money that the participant receives, deducted by the EU contribution to its linked third party. It considers the distribution of the EU financial contribution between direct beneficiaries of the project and other types of participants, like third-party participants.
1130 Bruxelles / Brussel
Belgium
The total costs incurred by this organisation to participate in the project, including direct and indirect costs. This amount is a subset of the overall project budget.