- Thales and Underwood Innovation Labs, the inaugural Australian government-backed innovation lab, signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish an Advanced Air Mobility Centre of Excellence (AAM COE).
- Located in Queensland, Australia, the AAM COE will facilitate the growth of a scalable and collaborative UAV ecosystem in Advanced Air Mobility, create high-skilled jobs, and provide access to indoor, virtual and physical airspace for the safe design and testing of Remote Piloted Aircraft Systems (RPAS).
- The establishment of the AAM COE aligns with the Australian Government’s priorities identified in the Aviation White Paper regarding the Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) sector.
Thales and Underwood Innovation Labs signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) to establish an AAM Centre of Excellence. The AAM COE, supported by the Mayor of Logan City, Hon Jon Raven, will operate as a membership-based, open-ecosystem, enabling organisations to utilize and access state-of-the-art innovation, technology and resources.
The location of the AAM COE, in South East Queensland, is one of Australia’s fastest growing regions, with population numbers expected to reach 5.4million by 2041. As a key economic hub, the establishment of a centre of excellence will cultivate advanced technology and develop skills for Queensland’s future workforce.
The AAM COE is modelled after a successful initiative in Paris, France, known as Centre d’Excellence Drones Ile De France (CEDIF). CEDIF operates with an approved 40km Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) airspace corridor extending from Saint-Quentin en Yvelines to Bretigny sur Orge. Supported by Thales, Eurocontrol, and Systematic, CEDIF aims to provide a comprehensive platform for incubating, validating, and industrializing all aspects of drone activities, both direct and indirect.
“Thales is thrilled to be the initial founding partner in establishing the forthcoming innovation ecosystem centred on a Centre of Excellence for AAM in Queensland, alongside Underwood Innovation Lab and the City of Logan. Our shared commitment to trust, innovation, and results will unite innovators in addressing everyday challenges, integrating drones and other advanced air mobility systems safely into our daily routines, and contributing to the decarbonization of the future aviation industry.” – Bobby Pavlickovski, Head of Uncrewed Services, Thales Australia.
“Underwood Innovation Lab is delighted to be partnering with Thales Australia to establish and deliver this catalytic project for Queensland which will propel the Advanced Air Mobility sector in the State and ultimately Nationally. As a first in kind, local government backed innovation Lab this project aligns well with the UiLab mission to positively impact the Australian innovation ecosystem through strategic global partnerships and transformative projects such as this that will create high-value jobs, attract further investment, and ultimately improve National productivity.” – Dr Paul Mathiesen (UiLab Chief Innovation Officer).
