Skellefteå Airport, Skellefteå Municipality, Skanska and the British company Urban-Air Port are starting a collaboration related to drone logistics. The goal is to integrate infrastructure for drone deliveries in the large logistics area Hammarängen, which is under development in Skellefteå.
“Skellefteå is experiencing fantastic growth and we see an increased need for fast and sustainable transport for both companies, public organizations and private individuals. By integrating the air freight transport of the future into community planning at an early stage, we hope to create a robust, safe, accessible, sustainable and future-oriented logistics system throughout the municipality,” says Lars Hedqvist, Planning Manager at Skellefteå Municipality.
In order to be able to offer deliveries by drone, infrastructure on the ground in the form of a so-called drone gate is required, among other things. One of the goals is to be able to develop the world's first drone gate made of wood, built with sustainable local materials and methods. Since the logistics area at Hammarängen is under development, there is an opportunity to integrate drone deliveries into the planning from the beginning and thereby create a multimodal hub where all modes of transport are coordinated. The hope is that this will contribute to positive environmental, economic and social effects in the long term.
“Drones are part of the sustainable mode of transport of the future and the future is here faster than we think. The Hammarängen Skellefteå Södra industrial area has the right conditions to develop the logistics and infrastructure required and it will be really interesting to be part of this work,” says David Nordberg, Skanska. The project is supported by Sustainovation, Skanska’s innovation business.
During the year, the collaborating actors will conduct a feasibility study to map out, among other things, the design, needs, permit processes and costs associated with a drone port.
“We are very excited to work with this highly experienced multidisciplinary consortium to bring so-called Advanced Air Mobility to Skellefteå and Sweden. The model of combining the municipality, airport and construction company together with Urban-Air Port’s innovative ground infrastructure for the Advanced Air Mobility of the future is something that can be copied around the world. Our infrastructure is designed to enable fast and easy use of this exciting new form of transport in the most simple and cost-effective way possible,” says Ricky Sandhu, Founder and CEO, Urban-Air Port.
“By combining the airport's knowledge with Skanska's expertise, Urban-Air Port's concept of ground infrastructure for drone deliveries, and Skellefteå Municipality's investments in the sustainable society of the future, we have a partnership that will be able to create innovative solutions for the air freight transport of the future,” says Robert Lindberg, CEO of Skellefteå Airport.
The initiative is part of the ELIS development program, which is about testing, developing and commercializing electrified aviation. www.elisprogram.com
Contact information:
Robert Lindberg
CEO Skellefteå Airport
robert.lindberg@sft.se
David Nordberg
Skanska
david.nordberg@skanska.se
Stuart Bloomfield
Urban Air Port
Stuart.bloomfield@urbanairport.com
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