AIRlabs at Moving Slovenia 9.0
How can Europe shape its logistics systems to be resilient and future-oriented in an increasingly complex world?
This was the central question addressed on October 22, 2025, at the professional conference “Moving Slovenia 9.0 – Logistics at a Turning Point: Europe between China, the USA, and Regional Challenges”, held at the Congress Center Brdo pri Kranju.
Cross-border cooperation
The conference was organized by Advantage Austria – the Austrian Economic Chamber’s Foreign Trade Center in Ljubljana – in cooperation with Finance, Slovenia’s largest business newspaper. Within the framework of the Austrian-Slovenian economic mission, the thematic focus was placed on logistics, infrastructure, and mobility.
The event brought together decision-makers from business, research, and politics from both countries to shed light on current challenges and future perspectives of European logistics. It was supported by the Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) as well as by Advantage Austria, the WKO’s international network that supports Austrian companies worldwide in their export and innovation activities and promotes cross-border cooperation (Moving Slovenia 9.0-WKO).
Cooperation as a Key Factor
Especially in the field of logistics, it becomes evident how crucial cross-border cooperation is for innovation and competitiveness – whether in the expansion of multimodal transport corridors, in sustainable infrastructure development, or in the digital transformation of supply chains.
The Austrian Economic Chamber (WKO) and Advantage Austria actively promote this exchange by connecting Austrian and Slovenian companies, research institutions, and public authorities, thereby laying the groundwork for joint innovation projects.
FH JOANNEUM is a particularly successful example of the link between business and science – a university of applied sciences that focuses specifically on these topics and trains practical specialists in this field. In this way, the university makes an important contribution to counteracting the shortage of skilled workers in the long term.
Moreover, FH JOANNEUM contributes an additional key perspective to this dialogue through its Institute of Aviation. Research priorities such as resource-efficient technologies, CO₂ reduction, and energy efficiency are at the center of attention here – topics that are not only relevant for aviation itself but are increasingly significant for logistics as a whole.
Together with AIRlabs Austria – which, as the national drone test and innovation laboratory, forms the interface between research and practice – FH JOANNEUM is working to translate this expertise into concrete projects. In this way, new approaches are being developed that demonstrate how sustainability, efficiency, and technological innovation can be combined in future air and drone logistics.
Europe Between Geopolitical Tensions and Technological Transformation
This year’s conference made it clear: logistics in Europe stands at a turning point.
On the one hand, geopolitical tensions – particularly between the United States and China – are creating significant uncertainties in global supply chains. On the other hand, rapid technological progress is changing the rules of the game: digitalization, automation, and data-driven decision-making processes are increasingly shaping the strategic orientation of the industry.
In addition, the sector is currently facing a number of structural challenges. According to recent analyses (European Investment Bank „Navigating supply chain disruptions“; NTT Data „Logistics in Europe in 2025“) resource scarcity, shortage of skilled labor, rising energy and transport costs, and uncertain trade routes are among the central issues currently shaping the European logistics landscape and forcing companies to adapt their strategies.
At the same time, topics such as sustainability, resilience, and decarbonization are moving into focus: the pressure to reduce emissions while optimizing costs and delivery times compels companies to rethink their approaches – from energy management and the use of renewable propulsion systems to alternative transport models.
AIRlabs Austria: A Glimpse into the Future of Logistics
With the presentation “Advanced Aerial Mobility – Chances and Obstacles for NEW Logistics in Europe”, AIRlabs Austria contributed a visionary perspective to the discussion. While many conversations at the event were still shaped by the current challenges of the logistics sector – such as infrastructure bottlenecks, shortage of skilled labor, or regulatory uncertainties – Holger Friehmelt (Head of the Institute of Aviation at FH JOANNEUM and Technical-Scientific Director of AIRlabs Austria) and Kristóf Gombás (Technical Project Manager at AIRlabs Austria) demonstrated the role drones may play in the future European logistics system.
Through concrete application scenarios, it became clear how diverse the use of drones in logistics can be: from supplying remote regions with essential goods to time-critical transports – such as blood samples, defibrillators, or medical emergency deliveries – and further to applications in agriculture and environmental monitoring. Examples from wildlife observation and precision agriculture illustrated how aerial technologies can contribute to greater sustainability and efficiency.
The economic potential of this development is also remarkable. According to studies, the European drone logistics market could reach a volume of more than 600 billion euros by 2050. Growth drivers include the increasing importance of CO₂ reduction, the need to relieve urban transport networks, and the demand for improved supply in rural areas.
At the same time, the discussion highlighted that the path from research to widespread practical implementation remains challenging. From an economic perspective, establishing a viable drone logistics ecosystem requires new business models and adapted cost structures. From a regulatory standpoint, particularly BVLOS requirements, data protection, and noise management pose significant hurdles. Technologically, further development is still needed – for example in flight stability, weather resilience, and automated conflict avoidance.
Despite these challenges, it is becoming evident that innovation in logistics is no longer taking place solely on the ground. Drones can, in the medium term, contribute to making transport chains more efficient, safer, and more environmentally friendly – provided that research, regulation, and industry work together on viable solutions.
AIRlabs Austria as a Test and Innovation Platform
At AIRlabs Austria, we are creating one of the most comprehensive environments for research, development, and testing of unmanned aerial systems in Austria. As an innovation laboratory funded by the BMK (Federal Ministry for Climate Action, Environment, Energy, Mobility, Innovation and Technology) under the FFG TAKE OFF program, we support drone technologies along the entire development chain – from the initial idea to operational deployment.
Thanks to the high level of technical expertise within our team, we integrate technological, regulatory, and operational aspects into a holistic approach. This allows us to simulate real operational conditions, identify limitations at an early stage, and explore ways to overcome them. Particularly in the regulatory context, we contribute extensive experience and knowledge – for instance in the areas of SORA, authorization processes, and operational safety – thereby supporting the transition from innovation to real-world application.
Our four official test areas – LO-R 9 Steinalpl, LO-R 10 Reichersberg, LO-R 11 Frauschereck, and LO-R 12 Hochkar – provide ideal conditions for drone operations in both visual line of sight (VLOS) and extended operations (BVLOS). The geographical diversity – ranging from alpine terrain to vast lowlands – enables us to test systems and applications under real weather conditions and to develop realistic test scenarios that correspond to actual operational environments.
Within these environments, new technologies, hardware components, and use cases can be tested; training sessions can be conducted; and complete mission workflows can be validated. In addition, we utilize the specialized infrastructure of our partners – including state-of-the-art laboratories, simulation platforms, and wind tunnels – to support drone systems throughout their entire development process.
Together with our broad network of industry, research, and governmental partners, we thus create a test and innovation environment that accelerates the transfer of technological developments into real-world applications and provides sustainable impulses for the future of the European drone industry.
End-to-End Competence Along the Innovation Chain
Our work does not end with technical testing. We see ourselves as partners throughout the entire innovation process – from the initial concept idea to development and integration, all the way to implementation in real-world applications. In doing so, we combine technical know-how with solid experience in regulatory and operational environments to ensure that new technologies are transferred into practice safely, efficiently, and in compliance with legal requirements.
Through this close interconnection of research, test operations, and regulatory expertise, we can identify potential limitations in implementation at an early stage – and, together with our partners, develop ways to overcome them. This results in solutions that are not only technologically sound but also economically and legally viable.
This systemic approach is also reflected in our research projects – for instance in Sense & Avoid, where we work on automated conflict avoidance between aircraft, or in the IFIRE project, which focuses on the safe testing of drones under real icing conditions. Both projects lay essential foundations to ensure that drones can in the future be integrated into logistical processes reliably, safely, and on a long-term basis.
Innovation Begins with the First Step
Moving Slovenia 9.0 impressively demonstrated that the logistics sector is facing major challenges – from geopolitical tensions and shortages of skilled labor to the growing demands for sustainability and efficiency. At the same time, it became clear that innovation begins precisely where existing structures encounter new technologies.
For us at AIRlabs Austria, the event was a valuable opportunity to contribute this perspective and to illustrate how drones can, in the future, create real added value as part of an interconnected logistics system. The open exchange with representatives from business, research, and politics highlighted how essential it is to think about today’s challenges and tomorrow’s solutions together.
Particularly inspiring was the dialogue with established logistics players such as Österreichische Post and Pošta Slovenije, who presented innovative approaches to automation and sustainable delivery in their contributions. This combination of practical experience, economic implementation, and technological research impressively illustrated the value of cooperation across national and sectoral boundaries in shaping the logistics of tomorrow.
As a bridge between research, industry, and public authorities, we are committed to ensuring that new technologies are not only developed but also safely and responsibly brought into practice. Because innovation does not happen overnight – it grows with every step we take together.
Sources
European Investment Bank Group (2024). Navigating supply chain disruptions: New insights into the resilience and transformation of EU firms. Online: https://www.eib.org/en/publications/20240179-navigating-supply-chain-disruptions
La Haye Stan (2025). Logistics in Europe in 2025: what to expect and how to proceed. Online: https://services.global.ntt/en-us/insights/blog/logistics-in-europe-in-2025-what-to-expect-and-how-to-proceed
WKO (2025). Moving Slovenia 9.0. Online: https://online.wko.at/events/event/detail.html?~cid=1&eventId=1836403665510860990
