Henkel Joins Ingolstadt Urban Air Mobility Initiative

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In July, Henkel Adhesive Technologies officially announced that it has joined the European Innovation Partnership on Smart Cities and Communities in their EU Urban Air Mobility (UAM) Initiative currently underway in the City of Ingolstadt, Germany. Supported by the European Commission and launched in 2018, the Ingolstadt UAM Initiative has brought together communities, citizens, businesses and other stakeholders to accelerate practical UAM technology studies and facilitate its ultimate implementation.

“We are committed to the future of air mobility to solve urban transportation challenges,” said Ruairi O’Kane, Global Segment Strategy Head for Aviation, Space and Rail at Henkel Adhesive Technologies. “We bring to this initiative decades of expertise in aerospace and automotive manufacturing and maintenance, and deep knowledge about delivering sustainable solutions across industries. Our scientists and engineers understand the importance of implementing cutting-edge solutions to advance the adoption of new materials, processes and technologies. We are excited to participate and collaborate on this important initiative exploring technology and business model innovations for future mobility in our increasingly connected world.”

Other partners in the Ingolstadt Initiative include Airbus, Audi, the DLR German Aerospace Center, the Red Cross of Bavaria, Roland Berger, local/regional and federal government agencies, and many others. Initial studies are focusing on the use of UAM vehicles to transport sick people and medical-related supplies where lives are at stake and timing is critical. Studies will also focus on commercial transport of business customers.

Professor Georg Rosenfeld, councilor for economic affairs for the City of Ingolstadt, acknowledged Henkel’s contribution to the initiative, saying, “I am delighted that we can welcome a new partner in the UAM Ingolstadt Initiative, Henkel, who brings decades of expertise in the field of manufacturing and maintenance solutions for the aerospace industry. This also shows the great potential of urban air mobility – business areas and opportunities for cross-sector cooperation arise along the entire value chain.”