The aim of the CityAM project was to support cities in planning and implementing drone technologies and Urban Air Mobility (UAM). During the project, geospatial planning and risk assessment tools were developed and tested, the social acceptance of drones was studied, and a UAM Roadmap for Cities was created. Tartu served as the replicator city.
The role of the Academy was to initiate discussions on the drone sector in Tartu and cooperate with the city government. In addition, we organised UAM seminars and contributed to launching the Tartu drone strategy. In cooperation with a doctoral student from the University of Tartu, a dynamic data-based ground risk assessment tool was developed, which can be used for risk analysis in drone flight planning.
Outcome and lesson learned: Cities gained practical tools and knowledge to implement UAM solutions safely, responsibly, and with public engagement. In Tartu, the foundations for shaping a drone strategy were laid. We observed that the success of urban air mobility does not depend solely on technology, but on how prepared cities are for new solutions – organisationally, socially, and strategically. The project was led on behalf of the Academy by Ingrit Roosileht.
The U-Save project focused on developing and testing a drone-based emergency transport solution in an urban environment, with the aim of providing faster response times than road transport in critical situations.
The Academy’s role was to prepare the system integration validation plan and report. In 2025, demonstration flights of medical payloads were carried out in Tartu from Raadi to Tammistu by Skycorp Technologies (Marek Alliksoo) in cooperation with Anra Technologies. The demonstrations confirmed that systems can be successfully integrated, and test flights took place both in Tartu and in Zaragoza, Spain.
Outcome and lesson learned: Technical integration was successful; however, based on current results, medical drone transport from the city of Tartu to rural areas is not yet operationally faster than ambulance services. Further development requires the design of service processes and the establishment of conditions for regular and lawful service provision.
We learned that critical drone services must deliver real added value and be user-centred – the drone itself is not the goal. On behalf of teh Academy, the core project team consisted of Maria Tamm and Ingrit Roosileht.
The aim of the H2Cove project was to identify knowledge gaps in the hydrogen sector and provide input for the development of continuing education learning materials. The Academy’s role was to conduct a market analysis and identify training needs in Estonia.
As an outcome, our students conducted 18 expert interviews and collected input through an online survey. Based on the results, a training needs assessment reflecting companies’ requirements was developed. The project provided students with valuable interviewing experience and a broader understanding of green energy and hydrogen-related topics, including developments in hydrogen aviation. At the Academy, the project was led by Ingrit Roosileht and Mariliis Aint.
The aim of the Climate Engine project is to support higher education institutions in developing sustainable and climate-friendly innovation solutions and to strengthen entrepreneurship among students and staff.
The Academy’s role in Phase I of the project was to support the development of innovation and entrepreneurial skills. We organized a student innovation week introducing funding opportunities and start-up entrepreneurship, hosted guest lectures by successful alumni, and shared experiences from effective student initiatives. In addition, the Academy led start-up support activities – organizing virtual international boot camps and providing mentoring to Estonian teams developing sustainability-related business ideas. Estonian Business School stood out as an important cooperation partner.
ELA considers it essential that young people, in addition to field-specific knowledge, also acquire practical skills for starting a business. The core project team included from our side Hira Malik, Ingrit Roosileht, and Killu-Laura Kiin.
The aim of this Nordplus project was to strengthen cooperation between language teachers and subject teachers and to improve the quality of teaching field-specific language.
The project resulted in a versatile and user-friendly website designed for lecturers, learners, and field specialists who wish to enhance the teaching of field-specific language and make language learning more content-rich. Aviation is certainly a field where mastering specialised language is essential.
On behalf of the Academy, the project was led by lecturers Ere Saar and Julia Kovalenko.