SAAB AKTIEBOLAG

Their core work

SAAB is a major Swedish defence and aerospace company that develops advanced air traffic management (ATM) systems, remote tower solutions, and unmanned aircraft integration technologies. Within H2020, they contribute radar, surveillance, and avionics expertise to Europe's SESAR programme — the initiative modernizing European airspace. Their work spans runway throughput optimization, controller decision-support tools, RPAS (drone) insertion into controlled airspace, and satellite-based navigation systems for both aviation and maritime domains.

What they specialise in

How they've shifted over time

In 2014–2018, SAAB focused heavily on foundational ATM infrastructure: demand-capacity balancing, airport throughput (runway operations, wake vortex separation), surface management, and Clean Sky 2 airframe/systems work. From 2019 onward, the focus shifted toward digital and autonomous systems — RPAS detect-and-avoid, digital remote towers, AI-based positioning for maritime, and higher-level ATM architecture integration. The transition mirrors the SESAR programme's own evolution from Wave 1 to Wave 2, but SAAB's growing involvement in unmanned aircraft and EGNSS-based positioning signals a deliberate move toward autonomous and satellite-enabled operations.

SAAB is moving from traditional manned-aviation ATM toward autonomous systems integration — expect growing capability in drone airspace management, AI-assisted surveillance, and EGNSS-based positioning.

How they like to work

SAAB participates exclusively as a partner, never as coordinator — consistent with large defence companies that contribute domain expertise to programmes led by SESAR Joint Undertaking or research bodies. With 318 unique consortium partners across 30 countries, they operate as a high-connectivity hub in the European ATM ecosystem. Their repeated engagement across SESAR Wave 1 and Wave 2 projects suggests they are a trusted, long-term contributor rather than a one-off participant.

SAAB has collaborated with 318 unique partners across 30 countries, making them one of the most connected organizations in the European ATM research network. Their partnerships span nearly all EU member states, with particularly dense ties to SESAR consortium members (air navigation service providers, airports, and avionics firms).

What sets them apart

SAAB brings rare dual capability: they are both a major defence/aerospace manufacturer AND a deep participant in civilian ATM modernization, giving them systems-integration experience that few academic or pure-research partners can match. Their remote tower technology is among the most mature in Europe, already deployed operationally in Sweden. For consortium builders, SAAB offers industrial-grade engineering and validation capacity — they can take research concepts through to operational demonstration, which is critical for SESAR and Clean Sky projects.

Highlights from their portfolio

• SYS GAM 2018
  Largest single EC contribution (EUR 5.4M) under Clean Sky 2 Systems ITD — indicates SAAB's heavyweight role in next-generation aircraft systems integration.
• PJ13 - W2 ERICA
  EUR 1.3M for enabling RPAS insertion into controlled airspace with detect-and-avoid — represents SAAB's strategic push into the unmanned aviation domain.
• PREPARE Ships
  Unusual cross-domain move: applied EGNSS positioning and AI algorithms to maritime surveillance, showing SAAB's capability transfer from aviation to other transport sectors.