Smart airports, airports as multimodal nodes and passenger experience

The HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02 call is part of the Horizon Europe funding framework, focusing on advancing innovations in smart airport technologies and enhancing passenger experiences. This initiative, managed by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking, aims to improve airport operations through research and innovation actions. The program targets entities such as universities, research organizations, SMEs, and public bodies, likely requiring a consortium for application submissions.

The funding is structured as a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant, which covers a significant portion of eligible costs, typically between 70% and 100%. The opening date for the call was April 1, 2025, with a deadline for submission set at September 16, 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time. The total funding available varies across thematic areas, with specific contributions outlined for each. For example, one area has a budget of EUR 20 million, with contributions ranging from EUR 4 million to EUR 10 million.

The call emphasizes the integration of airports as multimodal nodes and focuses on improving passenger experience, enhancing operational efficiencies, environmental sustainability, and advancing cybersecurity measures. Proposed research topics include collaborative airport management, performance monitoring, and integrating remotely piloted aircraft systems within controlled airspace.

Projects are expected to span a term of up to 36 months, necessitating collaboration and alignment with several EU initiatives aimed at modernizing air traffic management. Although success rates are not explicitly mentioned, it is acknowledged that competitive calls within Horizon Europe generally have a success rate of around 10-20%. The application process is a single-stage open call.

Overall, the objective of this initiative is to leverage innovative technologies and collaborative strategies to foster smarter, more efficient, and sustainable airport operations across Europe.

The HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-2 call, under the HORIZON Call Digital European Sky Industrial Research 02 (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02), aims to advance smart airports, their role as multimodal nodes, and the overall passenger experience, while also focusing on cyber-resilience and cybersecurity for next-generation airport platforms. This call is a HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Action (HORIZON-JU-RIA) and utilizes the HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS] model. The call is currently open for submission with a single-stage deadline. The opening date was April 1, 2025, and the deadline for submissions is September 16, 2025, at 17:00:00 Brussels time.

The expected outcomes of this call are to significantly advance development actions related to smart airports as multimodal nodes and passenger experience (IR-4-07), and cyber-resilience and cybersecurity capabilities for the next generation of airport platforms (IR-4-03).

The scope of the call includes, but is not limited to, the following research and innovation needs:

Collaborative management at regional airports supported by a Centralised Lite Airport Operations Centre (APOC): This involves developing a cost-efficient, algorithm-oriented Centralised Lite APOC to improve inbound, turnaround, and outbound predictability at regional airports. It focuses on enhancing local collaborative environments and connectivity with the ATM network, using NM digital services. Research should consider previous work under solution PJ.04-W2-28.2 and ongoing projects like RACINE and PEACOCK.

AOP and performance monitoring for a group of airports: This element focuses on developing a single Airport Operations Plan (AOP) for a group of smaller airports with similar operational needs. The AOP should combine information from individual airports to meet collaboratively agreed joint targets, considering individual airport needs and aligning with the overall airport-network view. Research should also address the collaborative process for defining performance targets and monitoring the overall performance of the group.

Airport integration into the User-Driven Prioritisation Process (UDPP): This involves integrating UDPP with airport-driven local Demand Capacity Balancing (DCB) processes to help airports, airspace users, NM, and ANSPs anticipate and manage arrivals-related disruptive events. Research may include allocating target times for arrival flights (TTA) combined with UDPP into the reconciliation process, even with multiple constraints. The reconciliation of arrival constraints between network management and airports/AUs should be addressed. Research should consider SESAR 2020 solutions PJ.07-02 and PJ.07-W2-39, as well as ongoing work by the HARMONIC project.

Airport environmental performance management: This focuses on integrating environmental considerations into overall airport operations management, balancing performance criteria like flight delay and environmental sustainability. Research includes developing an airport performance dashboard/cockpit to monitor environmental performance, considering environmental indicators in the Airport Operations Plan (AOP) and triggering operational decisions based on this monitoring. Research should consider work performed by SESAR solution PJ.04-W2-29.3.

Smart airports: This aims to fully integrate landside and groundside operations into the ATM network using connectivity and other technologies. Research objectives include:

Integrating airport and network planning and exchanging surface transport, airport, and ATM network information.

Information-sharing and collaborative decision-making to include outputs from landside processes.

Using business intelligence and machine learning to align process and resource capacity with predicted demand.

Enhancing cybersecurity posture to protect virtualized and distributed future solutions.

Adopting novel passenger processing solutions for a seamless passenger experience.

Developing solutions to share data between transport modes (e.g., ATM – rail) and to better collaborate for performance optimisation, including an integrated transport network performance cockpit and crisis management process.

Integration of IFR RPAS in airport and CTR operations: This addresses the safe and efficient integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS) in controlled airspace under instrument flight rules (IFR). RPAS must comply with existing rules and regulations. The scope includes:

Surface operations by IFR RPAS at different airport types.

Integration of IFR RPAS information into tower ATC systems.

Detailed handover processes between ground station operators.

Context-sensitive display of contingency procedures.

Developing requirements and architectures for direct communication between ATC and the remote pilot.

Integration of IFR RPAS in airspace class D and E controlled from an integrated TMA/CTR-TWR ATSU.

The use of sustainable taxi technologies.

Research should consider results from solution PJ.03a-09 and project INVIRCAT, as well as ongoing work for the accommodation of IFR RPAS in airspace D and E in project IRINA.

Key dates and information:

Opening Date: April 1, 2025

Deadline: September 16, 2025, 17:00:00 Brussels time

Type of Action: HORIZON JU Research and Innovation Actions (HORIZON-JU-RIA)

Grant Type: HORIZON Lump Sum Grant [HORIZON-AG-LS]

Budget:

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA1-1: EUR 20,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA2-1: EUR 14,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 7,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-1: EUR 93,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 9,000,000 to EUR 31,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 3)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-2: EUR 20,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-1: EUR 24,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 12,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-2: EUR 6,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 3,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 2)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-1, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-3: EUR 30,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 6,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1 for each)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA6-1, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA6-2, HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA6-3: EUR 20,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1 for each)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-1: EUR 2,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 2,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1)

HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-2: EUR 1,000,000 (Contribution: EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,000,000, Indicative number of grants: 1)

General conditions include admissibility conditions, eligible countries, other eligible conditions, financial and operational capacity and exclusion, evaluation and award criteria, submission and evaluation processes, indicative timeline for evaluation and grant agreement, and legal and financial set-up of the grants.

Additional requirements include a collaboration agreement, a funding rate of 70% for all beneficiaries, and the use of lump sum contributions for eligible costs. Beneficiaries are subject to additional dissemination and exploitation obligations, and grants awarded under this topic will be linked to calls HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-IR-01 and HORIZON-SESAR-2022-DES-ER-01. The maximum project duration is 36 months.

The evaluation criteria weighting is as follows: Excellence: 40%, Impact: 40%, Implementation: 20%.

Applicants are encouraged to use the partner search announcements and contact the SESAR 3 JU Call Helpdesk for support.

This SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking call aims to foster research and innovation to create smarter, more connected, and more sustainable airports. It encourages projects that address collaborative management, performance monitoring, environmental impact, integration of RPAS, and the overall passenger experience. The call seeks to improve air traffic management and airport operations by leveraging digital technologies, machine learning, and collaborative decision-making processes. The goal is to enhance the efficiency, predictability, and resilience of airports, particularly regional ones, while also ensuring cybersecurity and promoting environmental sustainability. Successful projects will contribute to the European ATM Master Plan and the broader objectives of the Digital European Sky initiative.

Eligible Applicant Types: The eligible applicant types are not explicitly stated in the provided text. However, given that the funding is provided under Horizon Europe and involves research and innovation actions (RIA), innovation actions (IA) and coordination and support actions (CSA), eligible applicants are likely to include a mix of entities such as universities, research institutes, SMEs, large enterprises, and other relevant organizations involved in the aviation and air traffic management sectors. The mention of "LEARs, Account Administrators or self-registrants" suggests that registered organizations and individual researchers can apply.

Funding Type: The primary financial mechanism is a grant, specifically a HORIZON Lump Sum Grant. The call also includes Research and Innovation Actions (RIA), Innovation Actions (IA) and Coordination and Support Actions (CSA).

Consortium Requirement: A collaboration agreement is required, suggesting that a consortium of multiple applicants is necessary.

Beneficiary Scope (Geographic Eligibility): The text mentions "non-EU/non-Associated Countries that are not automatically eligible for funding" but have made provisions, indicating that the geographic eligibility includes EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries with specific agreements.

Target Sector: The program targets the aviation and air traffic management (ATM) sector, specifically focusing on smart airports, airports as multimodal nodes, passenger experience, cyber-resilience, and the integration of remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS).

Mentioned Countries: The text does not explicitly mention specific countries, but it refers to "EU member states" and "non-EU/non-Associated Countries". Therefore, the relevant regions are EU and non-EU associated countries.

Project Stage: The project stages range from research and innovation to demonstration and validation, as indicated by the inclusion of Research and Innovation Actions (RIA) and Innovation Actions (IA). The scope also includes coordination and support actions (CSA), which suggests activities related to networking, dissemination, and stakeholder engagement.

Funding Amount: The funding amounts vary depending on the specific topic within the call. The budget overview provides the following ranges:
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA1-1: EUR 4,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA2-1: EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 7,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-1: EUR 9,000,000 to EUR 31,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA3-2: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 10,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-1: EUR 5,000,000 to EUR 12,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA4-2: EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 3,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA5-1, WA5-2, WA5-3: EUR 3,000,000 to EUR 6,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA6-1, WA6-2, WA6-3: EUR 2,000,000 to EUR 5,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-1: EUR 1,000,000 to EUR 2,000,000
HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02-WA7-2: EUR 500,000 to EUR 1,000,000

Application Type: The application type is an open call with a single-stage submission process.

Nature of Support: Beneficiaries will receive money in the form of a lump sum grant, with a funding rate of 70% of the eligible costs.

Application Stages: The application process is a single-stage process.

Success Rates: The success rates are not explicitly mentioned in the provided text.

Co-funding Requirement: Co-funding is required, as the funding rate is 70% of the eligible costs, implying that the remaining 30% must be covered by the beneficiaries or other sources.

Summary: This is a Horizon Europe funding opportunity under the Digital European Sky Industrial Research 02 (HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-IR-02) call, managed by the SESAR 3 Joint Undertaking. It aims to advance research and innovation in the aviation and air traffic management sector, focusing on smart airports, enhanced passenger experience, cyber-resilience, and integration of RPAS. The call is structured around several work areas (WA), each with a specific budget and scope. Projects can range from research and innovation actions to innovation actions and coordination and support actions. A collaboration agreement is required, indicating that consortia are expected. The funding rate is 70% of eligible costs, provided as a lump sum grant. The call is open to EU member states, associated countries, and potentially some third countries with specific agreements. The application process is a single-stage submission, with a deadline of September 16, 2025.