INDRA NAVIA AS

Their core work

Indra Navia AS is a Norwegian aviation technology company specializing in air traffic management (ATM) systems, particularly ground-based navigation aids, airport surface management, and surveillance infrastructure. They provide critical systems for runway operations, satellite-based approach procedures (GBAS), remote tower solutions, and communication/navigation/surveillance (CNS) integration. Their work spans the full airport operational chain — from approach and landing guidance to surface movement control — making them a key technology supplier to European ATM modernization under the SESAR programme.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In the early period (2016–2019), Indra Navia focused heavily on traditional airport ground systems: runway throughput optimization, wake vortex separation, surface management, and safety nets — the physical infrastructure layer of ATM. From 2019 onward, their involvement shifted toward digitalization and new airspace concepts: remote/digital tower technology, satellite navigation demonstrations (GBAS CAT II/III), and drone airspace management (U-space). This trajectory shows a clear move from hardware-centric airport systems toward software-intensive, digitally enabled ATM solutions.

Indra Navia is moving from traditional airport navigation infrastructure toward digitalized airspace management, including drone integration — positioning them at the intersection of manned and unmanned aviation.

How they like to work

Indra Navia operates almost exclusively as a third-party contributor (10 of 11 projects), meaning they supply specialized technology or expertise to larger SESAR consortia without taking on project management overhead. With 105 unique partners across 25 countries, they are deeply embedded in the European ATM ecosystem but as a supplier, not a leader. This makes them a low-risk, high-value addition to any ATM consortium — they bring specific technical capability without competing for coordination roles.

With 105 unique consortium partners across 25 countries, Indra Navia has one of the broadest networks in the European ATM community, touching nearly every major air navigation service provider and aviation research institution through the SESAR programme.

What sets them apart

Indra Navia occupies a specialized niche as a navigation and surveillance equipment provider within the SESAR ecosystem, bridging the gap between satellite-based navigation R&D and operational airport deployment. Their combination of GBAS expertise, remote tower technology, and emerging U-space capabilities makes them one of few companies that can address both traditional and next-generation ATM infrastructure. For consortium builders, they offer proven SESAR programme experience with minimal coordination overhead — a plug-in specialist for aviation navigation and airport systems.

Highlights from their portfolio

• USEPE
  Their only directly funded project (EUR 289K) and a strategic pivot into drone/U-space territory using AI for separation management — signals their future direction.
• VLD1-W2 DREAMS
  A validation/demonstration project for GBAS CAT II/III satellite approaches — rare chance to test their core navigation technology in real operational conditions.
• PJ05-W2 DTT
  Digital Technologies for Tower represents the convergence of their remote tower and airport management expertise into next-generation controller interfaces.