Future Needs leads participatory workshop on societal readiness for IAM at Airspace World 2026

How can European cities introduce drone-based services while ensuring that innovation responds to the needs, expectations and concerns of their communities?

To explore this question, IAM-CC partner Future Needs organised and facilitated an interactive workshop, “Co-Creating Pathways for Socially Grounded IAM in European Cities,” during Airspace World 2026 in Lisbon.

Having successfully led the development of the IAM-CC Horizon Europe proposal, the team is now responsible for the project's research on societal readiness, the development of the IAM Competence Centre, and its dissemination and exploitation activities.

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

• 

The workshop brought together stakeholders from industry, research and public authorities to explore how co-creation and participatory approaches can support the responsible introduction of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) solutions in European cities.

Through interactive discussions and stakeholder-mapping exercises, participants identified medical logistics and critical infrastructure inspection as promising applications for drone-based services. They also explored key barriers to implementation, including regulatory challenges, public acceptance and the need for stronger coordination between stakeholders.

The insights gathered will directly inform IAM-CC's research on societal readiness, future stakeholder engagement activities and the development of the IAM Competence Centre.

Read the full workshop insights here.