On 23 January 2025, the Drone Forum Austria took place in the BMK-Festsaal in Vienna. The event brought together around 200 participants from the drone community, research, industry and authorities to discuss the future of unmanned aviation. AIRlabs was also represented with its own stand and was able to hold in-depth discussions with stakeholders and experts as well as attend exciting presentations.

Key Organisers and Institutions

Renowned institutions are behind the organisation of the Drone Forum Austria 2025: the Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology (BMK), the Austrian Research Promotion Agency (FFG), Austro Control GmbH (ACG) and the Austrian Association for Drones (AAD).

New ideas and partnerships

For AIRlabs, the drone forum provided an excellent opportunity to engage in dialogue with existing and potential project partners. These not only provided new ideas, but also laid the foundation for future joint projects and test support. ‘The drone forum is a platform where people really think outside the box. The openness and dialogue without boundaries were impressive,’ reported Roswitha Wiedenhofer-Bornemann, Managing Director of AIRlabs.

Inspiring presentations, innovative developments and current trends

The presentations also focussed on innovations, funding and the need for innovation in unmanned aviation. These provided valuable insights into current trends and challenges in the industry. ‘It is inspiring to see how unmanned aviation is being driven forward by innovations. The event showed how important the dialogue between research, industry and regulation is,’ said Tom Bruchmann, technical project manager at AIRlabs.

Highlight: Sustainable aviation with the ELENA project

A particular highlight of the forum was the exhibition of the ELENA demonstrator, an innovative hydrogen aircraft with a wingspan of 6 metres. The ELENA project (‘Emission-free aviation through sustainable propulsion’) was initiated by the AIT (Austrian Institute of Technology) and aims to demonstrate the use of sustainable hydrogen technologies in aviation. The demonstrator is characterised by its environmentally friendly drive and its versatility in application.

AIRlabs was able to contribute its expertise as an essential partner to the project, which made a significant contribution to its successful implementation:

• Regulatory approval support: Preparation of the risk assessment, emergency planning and operating concept for a hydrogen-powered UAS. This was the first Austrian operating licence in the SPECIFIC category for a fixed-wing UAV of this size with a hydrogen powertrain.
• Evaluation of the flight requirements: Coordination of the requirements for the flight area, in particular with regard to the necessary runway (100 m, paved/asphalted), as well as construction of the test area.
• Organisation of the tests: carrying out inspections and coordination, which ultimately led to flight tests at Punitz airfield.

The project represents an important milestone for the integration of sustainable technologies in aviation and highlights the potential of hydrogen as an emission-free energy source.

Drone Forum 2025 – AIRlabs’ conclusion

The Drone Forum Austria 2025 was a complete success for AIRlabs. It not only facilitated dialogue with the drone community but also provided valuable inspiration for future projects. The event showed once again how crucial collaboration and thinking outside the box are for the further development of unmanned aviation. AIRlabs is looking forward to putting the ideas and contacts gained into practice.