Nine projects shortlisted for the Digital European Sky Awards 2026

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