Minister Visits Test Center for Unmanned Aircraft Systems
Progress with development of drone center in Cochstedt: Willingmann praises “flagship center for future technologies”
The development of the drone center at Cochstedt airport (southwest of Berlin) is going ahead on schedule. The German Aerospace Center (DLR) plans to open its National Experimental Test Center for Civil Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) there on May 1, 2021. The first testing and research projects are already under way on the site. Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann, Saxony-Anhalt’s Minister for the Economy and Science, the Federal Government Coordinator of German Aerospace Policy, Thomas Jarzombek, and the DLR Executive Board Member for Aeronautics Research, Prof. Rolf Henke, visited the site recently to find out about the progress of the development work.
Willingmann said: “The arrival of the DLR has brought Cochstedt airport into the 21st century. This will transform an only moderately successful regional airport into a flagship center for future technologies. It will also be a very interesting location for start-ups. I am certain that over the next few decades the use of civil drones will be a major area of growth. The presence of the DLR in Cochstedt will allow Saxony-Anhalt to benefit from this, which is why I have given my full support to the establishment of this important DLR research center.”
Prof. Dr. Henke explained: “Developing, testing and operating unmanned aircraft systems will present businesses and researchers with new challenges, such as vehicle technology and flight control, but also acceptance, safety and regulation. The DLR institutes are addressing these issues and bringing their expertise together in Saxony-Anhalt. Cochstedt will not only be our national center for unmanned flight, but also Germany’s first airport with simultaneous UAS operation.”
Thomas Jarzombek also believes that this area has great potential: “The federal government aims to make the most of the opportunities offered by the future market for civil drones and urban air mobility. We also want to enable German companies and, most importantly, start-ups to become involved in this new high-tech market. However, the route leading to practical applications will only open up when innovators can test their ideas in a safe environment. The new National Experimental Test Center in Cochstedt therefore plays an important role in the Action Plan for Unmanned Aircraft Systems published by the federal government on May 13. The aim of the test center is to lay the foundations to allow drone applications to move out of the laboratory and into a practical setting. We hope that this will also give a boost to the region. The National Experimental Test Center will be a flagship technology institution that will attract other companies and innovators.”
The DLR bought the airport in mid-2019 with the support of the Federal Ministry for Economic Affairs and Saxony-Anhalt’s Ministry of the Economy. The DLR will invest a total of at least ten million euros in the research and business infrastructure. The plans include installing modern systems for communication, flight inspection and monitoring, creating a workshop and new offices, upgrading the terminal to house the institute and installing new tower technology. Cochstedt will be available to other aviation companies for research and testing and will fulfil an incubator function for start-ups and SMEs. The DLR has already made contact with manufacturers and other companies and with research institutions such as the Otto von Guericke University Magdeburg.
Unmanned aircraft systems are already being used for disaster relief and for transporting medicines to remote areas. The entire unmanned aircraft industry is experiencing rapid growth, accompanied by the development of new concepts and technologies. This is gradually leading to the emergence of a new industry, which was demonstrated by a forward-looking research project at Cochstedt airport that Prof. Dr. Armin Willingmann found out about during his visit. The prototype of a gyrocopter drone has already been successfully tested there. In the future, it will transport freight weighing up to 200 kilograms at low altitudes over distances of up to 500 kilometers (ALAADy Project – Automated Low Altitude Air Delivery).
Background:
In March 2010, the state of Saxony-Anhalt sold Cochstedt airport to an investor from Denmark following an open tendering process. The overall package included a five-year commitment to operate the airport, extensive investment obligations amounting to 6.5 million euros and a purchase price of 1.075 million euros. The investor met all of these obligations in full. After unsuccessful attempts to turn the airport into a viable business, insolvency proceedings were opened concerning the assets of the Flughafengesellschaft Magdeburg Cochstedt in August 2016.