CAFA TECH OU

Their core work

CAFA TECH is an Estonian technology SME specializing in drone operations, unmanned aerial system (UAS) traffic management, and 5G-enabled airspace solutions. They develop and validate technologies at the intersection of 5G connectivity and unmanned aviation, including network slicing for drone applications and urban air mobility systems. Their work spans from UAV vertical application trials over 5G infrastructure to U-space integration for managing drone traffic in urban environments.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

CAFA TECH entered H2020 in 2019 with a clear focus on proving that 5G networks could reliably support drone operations — their early work centered on UAV trials, network slicing, and multi-access edge computing for unmanned systems. By 2021, their scope broadened in two directions: deeper into 5G platform capabilities (network programmability, SDKs, Industry 4.0 applications) and into the regulatory/operational layer of urban air mobility and U-space. This evolution suggests a company moving from technology validation toward operational deployment and ecosystem integration.

CAFA TECH is moving from 5G-drone proof-of-concept work toward operational U-space and urban air mobility systems, positioning them for the commercialization phase of drone traffic management in European cities.

How they like to work

CAFA TECH operates exclusively as a consortium participant, contributing specialized drone and 5G expertise rather than leading projects. With 56 unique partners across just 3 projects, they work in large, multi-country consortia typical of major EU innovation actions and demonstrations. This pattern suggests they are a trusted technical contributor that larger players invite when they need real-world drone operations or UAS integration capability.

Despite only 3 projects, CAFA TECH has built a remarkably broad network of 56 partners across 17 countries, reflecting participation in large-scale pan-European 5G and aviation demonstrations. Their network spans the telecommunications and unmanned aviation sectors across most of the EU.

What sets them apart

CAFA TECH sits at a rare intersection: they combine hands-on drone operations expertise with deep understanding of 5G connectivity requirements for unmanned aviation. While many telecom companies work on 5G and many drone companies build aircraft, few SMEs bridge both worlds with experience in UTM, U-space, and network slicing for UAV applications. For consortium builders, they bring practical Estonian drone operations capability coupled with 5G vertical application knowledge — a combination increasingly needed as European U-space regulation matures.

Highlights from their portfolio

• 5G!Drones
  Their largest project (EUR 744,500) and most defining — a major EU initiative to validate 5G infrastructure for drone operations across multiple vertical use cases
• GOF2.0
  A very large-scale demonstration of integrated urban airspace management, directly relevant to the coming commercialization of drone delivery and urban air mobility in Europe