Building the Skills for Innovative Air Mobility: Highlights from Year 1
The first year of AIRMOB has laid the foundations for the skills, education and training pathways that will support the future of Innovative Air Mobility in Europe.
The first year of the AIRMOB project has laid important foundations for the development of the skills, education and training pathways needed to support the future of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) in Europe. Across the AIRMOB Centres of Vocational Excellence (CoVEs), partners have worked to understand national ecosystems, identify emerging skills needs, strengthen cooperation between education and industry, and translate research findings into practical roadmaps and future learning opportunities.
From research and stakeholder engagement to curriculum development, national roadmaps and international cooperation, Year 1 has provided a strong basis for the next stage of the project. The work carried out across the CoVEs also demonstrates the importance of connecting vocational education, higher education, industry and public authorities as IAM continues to develop.
ITALY
Developing New Learning Pathways for Innovative Air Mobility
The Italian CoVE has made significant progress in developing new education and training opportunities for the emerging IAM sector. One of the key achievements has been the work towards a new 2,000-hour VET course, Tecnico Superiore per la Mobilità Aerea Innovativa (TESMOAERIN), mapped at EQF Level 5. The course is designed to prepare students for future technical roles including vertiport maintenance, U-Space/UTM operations and hybrid propulsion systems maintenance.
Alongside this work, the Italian CoVE has established its governance structure and Strategy Plan and has strengthened the visibility and impact of AIRMOB through targeted communication activities, including partner interviews, social media activity and press engagement. Collaboration between ITS, DTA and UniSalento, together with international partners, has created valuable examples of cross-border cooperation and helped engage thousands of users.
The CoVE is now moving further into curriculum development. New higher-education learning units are being prepared at EQF Levels 6 and 7, addressing sustainable aviation, sustainable propulsion and energy systems, as well as new propulsion concepts and dynamics for aerospace engineering. At the same time, work on the strategic framework for the Italian CoVE is reaching an advanced stage.
A further milestone has been the successful closure of deliverable D5.1 – Strategic plans of the 5 Regio AIRMOB CoVEs, establishing a foundation for nationally tailored but strategically aligned CoVE approaches that connect vocational education, industry needs and regulatory frameworks.
SPAIN
From National Analysis to a Roadmap for Innovative Air Mobility
During Year 1, the Spanish CoVE focused on building a clearer understanding of the national Innovative Air Mobility ecosystem and translating this knowledge into strategic priorities for skills development.
The Spanish team contributed to the common deliverable D2.1 – AIRMOB Drone View: A scan of the Innovative Air Mobility Sector, and prepared the national Spanish Drone View, analysing the country’s IAM ecosystem, education and training landscape, stakeholder needs and emerging skills priorities. The CoVE also organised the Madrid Take-off Workshop, using its results to develop the Spanish Roadmap for Innovative Air Mobility.
This work has helped move the Spanish CoVE from an initial diagnosis of the IAM ecosystem towards concrete priorities for training, collaboration and institutional capacity building. The Spanish Roadmap provides a framework for connecting evidence on skills and ecosystem needs with future implementation, including practice-oriented training, regulatory awareness and stronger cooperation between education, industry and public authorities.
AIRMOB was also presented at Expodrónica, increasing the project’s visibility among Spanish drone and IAM stakeholders. Looking forward, the Spanish CoVE intends to pursue adhesion to SIAM, the Spanish Innovative Air Mobility cluster, strengthening its connection with the national IAM ecosystem and supporting the long-term sustainability of the project’s work in Spain.
PORTUGAL
From Ecosystem Diagnosis to Practice-Oriented IAM Training
In Year 1, the Portuguese CoVE carried out a comprehensive diagnosis of the national Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) ecosystem, using targeted questionnaires with students, teachers and stakeholders to identify essential skills gaps. This work contributed to the preparation of the Portuguese Drone View (D2.1), providing a national perspective on the IAM ecosystem, education and training landscape, stakeholder needs and emerging skills priorities.
Portugal also contributed to the common Transformation Roadmap (D2.2) and the Strategic Plans of the 5 Regio-AIRMOB CoVEs (D5.1). A brainstorming session with the CoVE’s members during the Madrid Workshop helped outline the general guidelines for the Portuguese Roadmap for Innovative Air Mobility.
The evidence gathered during the first year is now guiding the development of practice-oriented training curricula aligned with industry demand and the European Qualifications Framework. The Portuguese CoVE is also progressing work on an IAM-GPT teaching and learning assistant, new IAM learning initiatives , and a mobility programme for teachers and trainers to support knowledge exchange and strengthen educational capacities.
Among the key highlights were three major Year 1 events, the Take-off Workshop, Engagement Event and Roadmap Pitch, as well as work to define the future structure of courses, modules, learning units and transnational courses. Looking ahead, the CoVE is expanding stakeholder engagement and technical literacy, preparing curriculum and micro-credential initiatives, and promoting practical demonstrations to support the future development and social acceptance of IAM in Portugal.
TÜRKİYE
Building the European Evidence Base for IAM Skills
Türkiye played a central role in Year 1 by leading WP2, the project’s first technical work package. The Turkish team coordinated the European research cycle, from survey design and stakeholder engagement through to analysis and reporting, establishing the evidence base that underpins AIRMOB’s skills agenda.
This work generated a particularly strong evidence base. Türkiye’s research involved an experienced respondent group, with 77% of respondents having more than ten years of professional experience. The findings identified a 44% mismatch between academic education and industry needs and highlighted priorities including drone laboratories, simulation environments and stronger industry-linked learning.
The Turkish national outreach programme also demonstrated the project’s ability to engage stakeholders beyond the consortium. Working with the Türkiye National Agency, the CoVE reached 403 participants across four cities, including Burdur, Eskişehir, Samsun and İstanbul.
The evidence gathered through WP2 has now informed the Turkish contribution to the D2.1 – AIRMOB Drone View: A scan of the Innovative Air Mobility Sector and D2.2 – AIRMOB Transformation Roadmap. Strategic priorities include integrating IAM modules into engineering programmes, developing VET pathways for drone technicians and operations personnel, and creating upskilling opportunities for aviation professionals. The CoVE is also exploring the transfer of Türkiye’s UAV expertise into civilian IAM applications such as urban air mobility, logistics, infrastructure monitoring and emergency response.
IRELAND
Moving from Research Towards Curriculum Development
The Irish CoVE has contributed to the project’s research and curriculum-development activities while raising awareness of the future skills required for the Innovative Air Mobility sector.
Among its Year 1 achievements was participation in the SESAR Open Demo Days, where AIRMOB’s work and the future skills needs of IAM were showcased. Ireland also contributed to the successful completion of common project deliverables and milestones, including D2.1, D2.2 and MS7 — the Action Plan for Excellent VET-ready.
A comprehensive digital skills-gap analysis involving more than 155 students and educators has provided further evidence to support curriculum development. The findings are helping identify the digital and professional skills needed as the IAM sector develops.
The Irish team is now transitioning from research towards the design of specific courses, modules and learning units. Task 3.5 was launched on 27 May, contributing to the development of a new central chatbot, while strategic cooperation meetings and the research survey and analysis have also been completed.
Looking ahead, the CoVE will continue working with FMCI to identify and develop IAM skills, support pilot testing of digital learning modules and strengthen the Community of Practice (CoP) through dedicated engagement workshops. A Thematic Conference and Consortium Meeting is also planned for 16–19 February 2027.
Quick News: From Research to Skills Development
Across the AIRMOB consortium, Year 1 has marked an important transition: from understanding the IAM ecosystem and identifying skills gaps towards developing concrete education and training solutions.
The project’s national and European research has created a shared evidence base, while the CoVEs are now translating these findings into roadmaps, curricula, learning units, VET pathways and stronger cooperation with industry and public authorities.
Several important activities are already pointing towards the next phase of AIRMOB:
- Italy: Continued development of new VET and higher-education learning opportunities for IAM.
- Spain: Further integration of the Spanish CoVE into the national IAM ecosystem and continued work towards SIAM.
- Portugal: Moving from ecosystem analysis towards practice-oriented IAM training, new learning initiatives and teacher mobility.
- Türkiye: Transition from WP2 research leadership towards curriculum development and implementation.
- Ireland: Development and pilot testing of digital learning modules and transnational courses.
- Across the consortium: Continued stakeholder engagement, Community of Practice activities and international cooperation.
Looking Ahead
The achievements of Year 1 provide a strong foundation for the next stage of AIRMOB. As the project moves from research and strategic planning towards curriculum development, pilot activities and implementation, the focus will increasingly be on turning identified skills needs into practical learning opportunities for the future Innovative Air Mobility workforce.
Through continued cooperation between education providers, industry, public authorities and other stakeholders, AIRMOB is working towards an education and training ecosystem capable of supporting a rapidly evolving European air mobility landscape.