HARMONIZED INTEGRATION AND VERIFICATION OF UAS MULTIPLE SIMULTANEOUS OPERATIONS IN THE U-SPACE ENVIRONMENT (HIVE)core
HIVE · Horizon Europe grant · 2026-06-01–2028-11-30
EC contribution
Total cost
Beneficiaries
About the data
Source: CORDIS (official EU open data), Horizon Europe. Framework HORIZON · call HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03 · scheme HORIZON-JU-RIA · topic HORIZON-SESAR-2025-DES-ER-03-WA1-4. CORDIS record →
Objective
The evolution of U-space must anticipate the rise of Multiple Simultaneous Operations (MSO) as a driver for scalable and economically viable drone services. Fleet operations—multiple unmanned aircraft managed under a common Fleet Management System (FMS)—are essential for logistics, surveillance, and inspection. Swarm operations—groups of aircraft flying within a tightly coordinated 1-connected envelope—have proven value in entertainment and are expanding toward higher-value applications such as public safety, search and rescue, and emergency response.Today’s U-space remains optimised for single-aircraft management, with separation provided by U-space Service Providers (USSPs). Scaling this model to fleets and swarms risks overloading service layers and limiting capacity. HIVE (Harmonized Integration and Verification of Multiple Simultaneous Operations in U-space Environment) addresses this challenge through a layered delegation framework, where selected intra-separation and conformance functions shift from ATM/U-space services to FMS or Swarm Management Systems (SMS). In such scenarios, the USSP treats the swarm as a Single Operational Object, while internal spacing, C2 management, and Remote ID are coordinated within the group.This delegation must rest on verifiable performance and safety requirements. A key research gap is the absence of air and ground risk models for MSO operations, particularly for higher-SAIL missions (e.g. SORA SAIL III+). HIVE tackles this by extending existing frameworks—CORUS ConOps, EUROCONTROL ARA, and SORA —to cover fleets and swarms.Aligned with SESAR’s transformation levers—automation, dynamic airspace, trajectory optimisation, and human–machine teaming —HIVE will deliver:operational concepts for fleets and swarms,novel MSO risk models,a preliminary compliance framework, andpre-validation activities.These outputs lay the foundation for scalable integration of MSO into U-space and the Digital European Sky.
Beneficiaries (5)
| Organisation | Country | Role | EC contribution | SME |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Flyfire srl | IT | coordinator | €234,500 | Yes |
| UASolutions Sàrl | CH | participant | €201,938 | |
| UNIVERSITAT POLITECNICA DE VALENCIA | ES | participant | €200,250 | |
| D-FLIGHT SPA | IT | participant | €183,250 | |
| FLYVERCITY LTD | IL | participant | €180,125 | Yes |
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