Nine projects have been shortlisted for the Digital European Sky Awards 2026, recognising outstanding achievements in research and innovation and their contribution to the transformation of Europe’s air traffic management system.

The shortlisted projects span the full SESAR innovation pipeline, from ambitious exploratory research and solutions progressing towards operational readiness to large-scale demonstrations in real operating environments.

Following an evaluation by a jury representing stakeholders from across the aviation and research community, three projects have been shortlisted in each of the Awards’ three categories: exploratory research, industrial research and demonstrators.

The winners will be revealed at the SESAR JU Annual Conference on 12 October in Brussels. Conference participants will also get their say, with all nine shortlisted projects competing for the People’s Choice Award, decided by a live audience vote.

Meet the shortlisted projects

Recognising excellence across the innovation pipeline

The Digital European Sky Awards celebrate the teams turning ambitious research into solutions capable of transforming European aviation.

The Exploratory Research Award recognises research that pushes the boundaries of air traffic management knowledge, investigates new concepts and technologies, and lays the foundations for future innovation.

The Industrial Research Award recognises projects advancing promising concepts towards operational readiness, bringing together research, technology and operational expertise to develop and mature solutions for the future European ATM system. The category also encompasses projects delivered through SESAR’s Fast Track mechanism.

The Demonstrators Award recognises projects that take mature SESAR solutions into real operational environments, demonstrating at scale the benefits they can deliver and helping to accelerate their uptake.

Together, the nine shortlisted projects demonstrate the breadth of innovation underway through SESAR and the progress being made towards the Digital European Sky.

A jury representing the aviation community

The shortlisted projects were selected by a jury bringing together expertise from across the European aviation value chain, representing air navigation service providers, airspace users, airports, professional staff organisations, the research community, the European Commission, the SESAR Deployment Manager and the SESAR Joint Undertaking.

The 2026 Digital European Sky Awards jury comprises:

• Enrico Parini, Director European Affairs, CANSO
• Jaime Del Molino Blanco, Head of ATM-CNS Europe, IATA
• Olivier Jankovec, Director General, ACI EUROPE
• Erki Must, SESAR Team Leader, European Commission, DG MOVE
• Marc Baumgartner, Air Traffic Controller
• Tanja Bolić, Chair of the SESAR JU Scientific Committee, University of Westminster
• Mariagrazia La Piscopia, Managing Director, SESAR Deployment Manager
• Andreas Boschen, Executive Director, SESAR Joint Undertaking
• Benoit Fonck, Chief Programme, SESAR Joint Undertaking

The jury evaluated the projects against a common set of criteria, considering their achievements, impact and contribution to advancing the objectives of the Digital European Sky.

The names of the winners remain under wraps and will only be revealed during the Awards ceremony at the Annual Conference.

The audience gets a vote too

There will be one more award up for grabs on the day.

During the ceremony, conference participants will be introduced to all nine shortlisted projects before voting live for their favourite. Unlike the three category awards, the People’s Choice Award is open to projects from all three categories, giving the audience the final say.

Voting will take place live during the Awards ceremony, with the result revealed on stage alongside the three jury-selected award winners.

The Digital European Sky Awards 2026 will take place during the SESAR 3 JU Annual Conference on 12 October 2026 in Brussels.

Haven’t registered for the conference yet? This is your last chance! Join us in Brussels to discover the shortlisted projects, see who takes home this year’s awards and cast your vote for the People’s Choice Award.

REGISTER NOW

Congratulations to all nine shortlisted projects – and good luck on the big day!