Luciad Wins Top Honors in the 2014 SESAR SWIM Master Class

BRUSSELS – The 2014 SESAR SWIM Master Class awarded Luciad and its partners with top honors for SWIM-enabled applications at its annual Best in Class ceremony in Brussels.

Following its success in 2013, Luciad collaborated with Airbus Defence and Space, as well as Flight Plus and VITO to submit two entries to the 2014 competition. Both applications won top recognition in the SWIM-Enabled Applications category at the 2014 SESAR SWIM Master Class Best in Class Ceremony on December 11. “We are really honored to be part of two winning projects this year,” said Luciad’s Chief Technology Officer Frank Suykens. “Our fruitful collaboration with both Airbus Defence and Space and Flight Plus and VITO demonstrate just some of the many SWIM-enabled applications and services that are possible.” “We believe that Luciad’s continued success in the SESAR SWIM Master Class is thanks to our mission to provide geospatial components based on interoperability with other systems and open standards.”

CAPS Based on SWIM

Together with Airbus Defence and Space, Luciad developed CAPS (Collaborative Airspace Provision Service/Application) to help ATM stakeholders reserve airspaces and minimize conflicts with neighboring airspaces and flight paths throughout Europe. The application was awarded with the Best in Class prize by the 2014 SESAR SWIM Master Class jury. “Airbus Defence and Space and Luciad are highly honored that our solution and its potential is recognized by the jury of the SMC,” said Edwin Pittomvils, Head of Integrated Systems, Airbus Defence and Space. “We are proud to be able to contribute to this great European effort bringing ATM in the Single European Sky into an successful future. In this respect, we will continue to strive as competent partners in the SESAR initiative to further develop the abilities of SWIM.”

VVLOC Platform for Remotely Piloted Aircraft Systems

Luciad was also recognized as the runner-up with partners Flight Plus and VITO for its VVLOC platform for remotely piloted aircraft systems (RPAS). The SWIM-enabled application helps integrate very low level (VLL) RPAS into the European aviation system. The platform application allows users to safely plan a VLL RPAS operation. Additionally, users have an overview of all operations and can control, police, reject and even cancel these operations. The application and services are fully based on interoperable SWIM standards, and the partnership will work to commercialize the system going forward.

SESAR SWIM Master Class

The SESAR SWIM Master Class is an annual competition hosted by the SESAR Joint Unit to further SWIM-enabled application and information services. In its third year, the competition included submissions from approximately 80 teams across the globe. Last year, Luciad won a silver medal for its iPIB (Interactive Pre-Flight Information Bulletin) and Aviation COP (Common Operating Picture) solutions.

About Luciad

Luciad is the worldwide expert in geospatial software components for real-time situational awareness. Its software components are known for their flexibility, high performance and accuracy and play an invaluable role in the aviation, defense, maritime, safety and transport industries. By connecting directly to data sources, Luciad software not only analyzes and visualizes what is happening now, but also helps predict what will happen next – allowing users to act quickly and safely. “Connect, visualize, analyze, act” is both our method and our motto. www.luciad.com

About Airbus Defence and Space

Airbus Defence and Space is a division of Airbus Group formed by combining the business activities of Cassidian, Astrium and Airbus Military. The new division is Europe’s number one defence and space enterprise, the second largest space business worldwide and among the top ten global defence enterprises. It employs some 40,000 employees generating revenues of approximately €14 billion per year. www.airbusdefenceandspace.com

About Flight Plus

Flight Plus is a Belgian consultancy company providing dedicated services to the unmanned aviation community. Our team of consultants and specialists have a professional ATM (Air Traffic Management) background in both manned and unmanned aviation. We have worked together with government agencies, regulators, service providers, RPAS operators and the RPAS manufacturing industry, and have been at the forefront of some of the RPAS industry’s most promising developments. Flight Plus is also an active member of both the Belgian (BeUAS) and the international (UVSI) organisation for unmanned aircraft systems. The primary goal of Flight Plus is to facilitate the integration of the RPAS industry into the aviation system through the combined experience and dedication of our team. www.flightplus.aero

About VITO

VITO (Flemish Institute for Technological Research) is a leading European independent research and consultancy centre in the areas of cleantech and sustainable development. VITO’s main goal is to execute innovative research and provide a comprehensive range of scientific services in order to stimulate sustainable development. VITO focuses its research in 5 areas of expertise, ‘Sustainable Chemistry’, ‘Energy’, ‘Health’, ‘Materials Management’ and ‘Land Use’, all extremely important in the quickly evolving and changing society that we live in today.

VITO’s Remote Sensing Department contributes to VITO’s main research topic ‘Land Use’. With approximately 80 employees the department is constantly developing state-of-the-art multi- and hyperspectral earth observation system and improving its scientific support to enable end-users to collect, access and use reliable geo-information, hereby supporting sustainable land management. The department is active in multiple remote sensing activities such as developing new remote sensing systems, sensors and platform, processing and distribution of multiple spaceborne/airborne data products and also designing several local, hyperspectral and global applications for end-users worldwide and this in several areas of expertise such as Environment, Agriculture, Food Security, Water Quality, Security, … www.vito.be