Visual analytics for air traffic managementprimary
3 projects
Visual analytics appears across all three projects (TAPAS, NOSTROMO, DACUS), indicating this is their core deliverable capability.
Organization
ISA SOFTWARE LTD
UK-based SME building AI-powered visual analytics and performance modelling tools for European air traffic management and drone airspace (U-space).
Technology SMEtransportUKSMENo active H2020 projects
H2020 projects
3
As coordinator
0
Total EC funding
€567K
Unique partners
17
What they do
Their core work
ISA Software develops data analytics and visualization tools for the European air traffic management (ATM) sector. They specialize in applying machine learning, explainable AI, and visual analytics to help aviation authorities understand, model, and optimize airspace performance. Their work spans manned aviation (SESAR programme) and unmanned traffic management (U-space for drones), making them a software provider at the intersection of AI and aviation safety.
Core expertise
What they specialise in
Explainable AI for aviation decision supportprimary
2 projects
TAPAS focused directly on explainable AI and transparency in ATM systems; NOSTROMO applied machine learning with active learning for performance assessment.
ATM performance modelling and benchmarkingsecondary
1 project
NOSTROMO specifically targeted open-source tools for ATM performance modelling, metamodelling, and benchmarking against E-OCVM methodology.
U-space and drone traffic optimizationsecondary
1 project
DACUS addressed demand-capacity balancing in U-space, including drone trajectory planning and dynamic separation minima.
Open-source aviation software toolsemerging
1 project
NOSTROMO explicitly aimed at building next-generation open-source tools for ATM, suggesting a move toward community-driven software platforms.
Evolution & trajectory
How they've shifted over time
Early focus
Explainable AI for aviation
Recent focus
ATM performance and U-space analytics
All three of ISA Software's H2020 projects launched in 2020, so there is no long-term evolution to track within this dataset. However, the keyword spread reveals a broadening scope: early keywords centered on explainable AI and transparency, while later project work expanded into performance modelling, metamodelling, U-space operations, and demand-capacity balancing. This suggests a trajectory from pure AI interpretability tools toward full-stack analytics platforms covering both manned and unmanned aviation domains.
ISA Software is expanding from AI explainability into broader ATM performance optimization and drone airspace management — positioning them well for Europe's growing U-space regulatory needs.
Collaboration profile
How they like to work
Role: specialist_contributorReach: European8 countries collaborated
ISA Software operates exclusively as a participant, never leading projects, which is typical for a specialist SME contributing focused software expertise to larger consortia. With 17 unique partners across 8 countries from just 3 projects, they work in mid-to-large consortia and maintain a diverse partner network rather than sticking to the same collaborators. This suggests they are easy to integrate into new teams and valued for a specific technical contribution.
ISA Software has built a network of 17 distinct consortium partners across 8 European countries through their SESAR-related projects. Their network is concentrated in the aviation research and ATM community, connecting them to air navigation service providers, universities, and other specialized software firms.
Why partner with them
What sets them apart
ISA Software sits at a rare intersection: they combine AI/ML expertise with deep domain knowledge of European air traffic management. While many AI companies are generalists, ISA delivers purpose-built visual analytics and explainable AI tools specifically for aviation regulators and operators. Their simultaneous involvement in both traditional ATM (SESAR) and drone airspace (U-space) makes them a versatile partner for any consortium addressing the future of European airspace.
Notable projects
Highlights from their portfolio
- DACUSTheir largest funded project (€204,882), addressing the emerging and strategically important challenge of demand-capacity optimization for drone operations in U-space.
- TAPASDirectly tackled explainable AI for automated ATM systems — a critical trust and safety requirement as aviation moves toward greater automation.
- NOSTROMOAimed at building open-source ATM performance tools, which could give ISA Software lasting visibility and community influence in the SESAR ecosystem.
Cross-sector capabilities
Artificial intelligence and machine learningData visualization and visual analyticsDrone operations and unmanned systemsSafety-critical decision support systems
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