Context and Objectives
The WINGWAY – Phase II project continues research aimed at transforming logistics by integrating aerial and ground transport into an intelligent multimodal model. Its purpose is to validate a selective logistics management system using VTOL UAS for automated, safe, efficient, and economically viable deliveries. The initiative aligns with AERA’s innovation strategy and Industry 4.0 principles, integrating digital technologies, simulation, automation, and data analytics into the supply chain.
The project’s goal is to design and demonstrate a new logistics model combining ground and aerial infrastructure, optimizing cargo transport in industrial, rural, and urban areas while reducing operational costs and emissions.
The overall objective of the project is to design and demonstrate a new logistics model that combines land and air infrastructure, optimising freight transport in industrial, rural or urban environments and reducing both operating costs and associated emissions.
Expected or Achieved Results
Phase 1 validated the model’s feasibility under the EU U-Space regulatory framework, evaluating main components: aerial vehicle, vertiport, and planning platform.
Phase II focuses on prototyping and system validation in a controlled environment, including design of system components and interfaces, development of an automated planning platform, multimodal operation simulation, and creation of a functional aerial vehicle prototype for real concept testing. Infrastructure design and technical/economic sustainability analyses are included to reduce entry barriers for technology providers and logistics operators, fostering a collaborative ecosystem.
The project also includes the design of viable and modular logistics infrastructures, as well as the analysis of their technical and economic sustainability. The aim is to reduce barriers to entry for both technology solution providers and logistics operators, fostering the creation of a collaborative ecosystem that facilitates the adoption of these types of technologies.
Industrial and Technological Impact
WINGWAY – Phase II represents a key step toward next-generation air logistics services, integrating drones with ground infrastructure and digital platforms. The system will plan safe routes under U-Space regulations, optimizing time, resources, and costs, while enhancing sustainability and transport resilience. The project positions Aragon as a national reference for advanced aerial mobility and smart logistics, opening new business opportunities for SMEs and tech companies in the aerospace sector. In this way, it is hoped that interaction will be achieved in the inter-company value chain within the market for logistics services using UAS.
