AiRMOUR · Project

Drone and Air Taxi Tools for Emergency Medical Services in Cities

transportPilotedTRL 6

Imagine calling an ambulance but instead of fighting through traffic, a drone flies medical equipment straight to the scene — or an air taxi rushes a doctor to your location in minutes. AiRMOUR tested exactly that in real European cities, running live demonstrations with both manned air taxis and unmanned drones for emergency medical situations. They built a planning toolkit so city authorities can figure out where to put landing pads, how to manage air traffic safely, and what regulations to follow. Think of it as the instruction manual cities need before they can launch medical drone services.

By the numbers

consortium partners across 6 countries

European countries involved in testing and validation

EUR 5,646,150

total EU research investment

project deliverables produced

TRL6

technology readiness level achieved through live validations

SMEs in the consortium

The business problem

What needed solving

Cities want to use drones and air taxis for medical emergencies — faster than ambulances stuck in traffic — but have no reliable way to plan where drones should fly, where they can land, or how to get regulatory approval. Without a tested planning toolkit, every city has to reinvent the wheel, delaying life-saving services by years.

The solution

What was built

The project produced a UAM toolbox including a GIS-based planning tool for city authorities, a UAM guidebook for cities and operators, and a UAM training programme co-developed with Eurocontrol. Live validation reports were delivered for both manned air taxi scenarios (doctor/patient transport) and unmanned drone scenarios (EMS equipment delivery), totaling 33 deliverables.

Audience

Who needs this

Air ambulance and EMS operators looking to add drone capabilitiesCity transport and urban planning authorities preparing for air mobilityDrone and eVTOL manufacturers seeking validated use cases for medical transportAviation regulators developing urban air mobility rulesHospital networks wanting faster emergency supply delivery in congested areas

Business applications

Who can put this to work

Emergency Medical Services

enterprise

Target: EMS operators and air ambulance providers

If you are an EMS operator dealing with slow response times in congested urban areas — this project developed a validated UAM toolbox and GIS planning tool that lets you map optimal drone corridors and landing zones for medical deliveries. The concepts were tested in TRL6 live validations across 6 European countries with 14 consortium partners. This gives you a proven playbook to launch drone-based medical supply delivery.

Urban Air Mobility Operations

SME

Target: Drone logistics and eVTOL operators

If you are a drone or eVTOL operator looking to enter the medical transport market — this project produced a UAM guidebook covering safety, regulation, and public acceptance requirements, plus a training programme developed with Eurocontrol. The live validations covered both manned air taxi scenarios and unmanned drone deliveries. You get a regulatory roadmap instead of spending years figuring out city-by-city requirements yourself.

Smart City Planning

any

Target: City transport authorities and urban planning consultancies

If you are a city authority or planning consultancy trying to integrate air mobility into urban transport — this project built a UAM GIS tool that maps where drones can safely fly, land, and recharge in your city. The toolbox was tested by partner cities and replicators across 6 countries. Instead of starting from scratch, you get a field-tested system to assess your city's readiness for medical drone operations.

Frequently asked

Quick answers

What would it cost to implement this UAM planning toolbox in our city or operations?

The project does not publish per-unit pricing for its tools. The UAM toolbox (including GIS tool), guidebook, and training programme were developed with EUR 5,646,150 in EU funding across 14 partners. Contact the coordinator to discuss licensing or collaboration terms for accessing the toolkit.

Can this scale beyond the pilot cities to work in any European city?

Yes, the project was explicitly designed for replication. The UAM toolbox, guidebook, and training programme were tested by partner cities and additional replicator cities across 6 countries (Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden). The goal is that any European cluster of aviation and urban actors can set up their own UAM operations using these tools.

Who owns the intellectual property, and can we license the tools?

This was an EU-funded Research and Innovation Action (RIA), so IP rules follow Horizon 2020 grant agreement terms. Results are typically owned by the partner that generated them (coordinated by VTT, Finland). Licensing or access terms should be negotiated directly with the consortium.

What regulatory approvals exist for the drone and air taxi concepts tested?

The project worked directly with national aviation authorities (consortium included regulatory bodies) and Eurocontrol to develop the training programme. Live validations at TRL6 were completed for both manned air taxi and unmanned drone EMS scenarios. However, full regulatory certification for commercial UAM operations is still evolving across Europe.

How mature is this technology — can we deploy it now?

The project completed TRL6 live validations, meaning the concepts were demonstrated in relevant real-world environments. Both manned UAM (air taxi for doctor/patient transport) and unmanned UAM (drone delivery of EMS equipment) were validated. The planning tools are ready for city adoption, though commercial UAM vehicle certification follows separate timelines.

How does this integrate with existing emergency dispatch and hospital systems?

Based on available project data, the UAM GIS tool is designed to work with city geographic information systems and urban transport planning. The project addressed integration with existing EMS workflows through its live validation scenarios. Specific technical integration details with hospital IT systems would need to be discussed with the consortium.

Consortium

Who built it

The AiRMOUR consortium brings together 14 partners from 6 Northern European countries (Germany, Finland, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Sweden). With 4 industry partners (29% industry ratio) and 3 SMEs, this is a balanced mix of research muscle and commercial perspective. The coordinator VTT (Finland) is one of Europe's leading applied research organizations. The 5 "other" partners likely include city authorities and aviation regulators, which is critical — you cannot commercialize urban air mobility without direct involvement of the authorities who approve flight corridors and landing zones. For a business looking to enter this space, this consortium represents a well-connected entry point into Northern European UAM markets.

TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OYCoordinator · FI
LINKOPINGS UNIVERSITETparticipant · SE
Stavanger kommuneparticipant · NO
FORUM VIRIUM HELSINKI OYparticipant · FI
TRAFIKVERKET - TRVparticipant · SE
ACADEMISCH ZIEKENHUIS GRONINGENparticipant · NL
HOCHSCHULE FUR ANGEWANDTE WISSENSCHAFTEN KEMPTENparticipant · DE
LUFTFARTSVERKETparticipant · SE
LUXMOBILITYparticipant · LU
NORCE RESEARCH ASparticipant · NO
INNOAVIA OYparticipant · FI

How to reach the team

VTT Technical Research Centre of Finland — search for AiRMOUR project lead at VTT

Order a report on this consortium See TEKNOLOGIAN TUTKIMUSKESKUS VTT OY profile →

Next steps

Talk to the team behind this work.

Want an introduction to the AiRMOUR team to discuss their UAM tools for your city or EMS operations? SciTransfer can arrange a direct conversation with the right consortium partner for your needs.

Order a report on this topic More in Transport & Mobility