Skellefteå Airport, Skellefteå Municipality, Skanska and the British company Urban-Air Port are initiating a collaboration linked 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 enterprises and private individuals. By integrating the airborne goods transport of the future early in the community planning, 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 with drones, infrastructure on the ground in the form of a so-called drone port is required. One of the goals is to be able to develop the world’s first drone gate in wood, built with sustainable local materials and methods. As the logistics area at Hammarängen is under development, it is possible 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 transport methods of the future and the future is here faster than we think. In the industrial area Hammarängen Skellefteå Södra, there are the right conditions for developing the logistics and infrastructure required and it will be really interesting to be a part of this work, ”says David Nordberg, Skanska. The project is supported by Sustainovation, Skanska’s innovation operations.
During the year, the collaborating actors will carry out a feasibility study to map, among other things, design, needs, permit processes and costs linked to a drone port.
“We are very happy to work with this very experienced multidisciplinary consortium to take so-called Advanced Air Mobility to Skellefteå and Sweden. The model of combining municipalities, airports and construction companies 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 transportation in as simple and cost-effective a way as 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 future airborne goods transport,” says Robert Lindberg, CEO of Skellefteå Airport.
The investment 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