ADW Establishes New Advisory Group to advance Digital Infrastructure for the Future of Air Mobility

ADW is pleased to announce the formation of a new advisory group focused on "Digital Infrastructure," a strategic move aimed at shaping the air mobility industry. Led by Sebastian Babiarz, Co-President of the Global UTM Association (GUTMA), this group brings together key stakeholders to shape the future of drone and air mobility operations and address the challenges of scalability, safety, and commercial viability. The advisory group’s work is set to play a key role in the upcoming ADW event from April 8–10, 2025.

“We are at a critical juncture where foundational digital infrastructure must be established to enable drone operations at scale,” said Babiarz. “Our goal is to create a robust digital framework that supports safe, efficient, and scalable operations, allowing the industry to evolve toward greater automation and autonomy.”

Strategic Industry Leadership

The advisory group includes top experts from leading organizations such as Eurocontrol, GSMA, NASA, and GUTMA, uniting some of the industry's most influential voices to develop the roadmap for ADW 2025. This group will lead discussions on leveraging existing digital infrastructure—such as mobile networks and cloud technologies—to integrate air mobility into the broader aviation ecosystem.

"Drones are essentially IoT devices, and by integrating them into existing digital ecosystems, we can accelerate their commercial adoption," Babiarz explained. "This will enable drone operators to achieve automation and scalability while keeping costs manageable."

Tackling Industry Challenges

The group also aims to address several challenges in scaling operations. These include maintaining stringent safety standards while ensuring agile and cost-effective processes, and integrating drones into airspace traditionally reserved for manned aviation. The advisory group is actively working to balance safety regulations with the needs of a rapidly evolving drone sector.

"Fostering open dialogue between regulators, technology developers, and industry stakeholders is essential to creating a safe, scalable environment for drone operations," Babiarz stated.

Looking Ahead to ADW 2025

This advisory group is part of a larger initiative, consisting of five expert groups, each addressing key challenges in the air mobility sector: Digital Infrastructure, eVTOLs and UAS, Rules and Regulations, Mobility Hubs, and Cities and Regions. These groups, comprising some of the industry's most influential voices, are collaborating to shape the content and direction of ADW 2025, with a shared commitment to tackling the most pressing issues in the industry today.

The focus of all groups is to move beyond theoretical discussions and concentrate on practical, ready-to-implement solutions that can accelerate the growth of the air mobility economy.

Building the Future of Air Mobility

The formation of these advisory groups marks a significant step toward integrating air mobility into both aviation and digital ecosystems. By leveraging existing infrastructure, vehicles, applications, and fostering cross-sector collaboration, ADW is positioned to address the industry’s biggest challenges while connecting the most influential companies to shape the future of global air mobility.

About ADW – Connecting Air Mobility Worldwide

ADW is the global platform for sharing knowledge on current air solutions, innovations, and essential regulations from the air mobility ecosystem. ADW will take place from 8 – 10 April 2025 in collaboration with Commercial UAV Expo Europe.

ADW drives progress on air mobility, strategic air operations, and digital aviation, while Commercial UAV Expo Europe is the leading specialist in commercial small unmanned aerial system (sUAS) applications under current regulations. Underscoring our commitment to foster even more comprehensive cooperations for the advancement of the Air Mobility industry. The event is hosted at RAI Amsterdam.

About GUTMA

The Global Uncrewed Traffic Management Association (GUTMA) is a leading international organization that represents stakeholders involved in the safe integration of drones into global airspace. GUTMA promotes the development of fair and competitive UTM (Uncrewed Traffic Management) services and is a key player in shaping regulations, standards, and technology within the drone industry. With a diverse membership base spanning traditional aviation, regulators, digital service providers, and UTM and drone service providers, GUTMA’s mission is to enable safe, efficient, and scalable drone operations worldwide.