The IAM-CC project kicks off in Athens (+photos)

The IAM-CC (Innovative Air Mobility Competence Centre) Horizon Europe project officially kicked off on 18–19 June 2026 in Athens, Greece, bringing together representatives of its 20 partner organisations to launch the project's activities and establish the foundations for collaboration over the next three and a half years.

With a budget of €5 million, IAM-CC aims to assess and advance societal readiness for Innovative Air Mobility (IAM), ensuring that emerging drone-based services respond to the needs and expectations of European communities and contribute to social welfare.

During the kick-off meeting, partners came together to establish a shared understanding of the project's objectives and the collaboration ahead. A key focus will be the development of a societal readiness methodology, supported by practical tools, training and guidance through the IAM Competence Centre.

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The project's approach will be explored through three Living Labs in Madrid, Milan and the Coimbra Region, where citizens, public authorities and industry stakeholders will participate in workshops, demonstrations and other engagement activities to assess the opportunities and societal implications of drone-based services.

As part of the first meeting, Future Needs researchers facilitated co-creation workshops with project partners in preparation for the Living Labs. The first workshop focused on co-creating societal readiness for IAM integration across the three cities, reflecting on their specific needs and readiness. The second workshop focused on stakeholder mapping across the IAM use cases to be explored in each city.

The Athens meeting marked the beginning of a collaborative effort to make Innovative Air Mobility more inclusive, responsible and responsive to the needs of European communities.