This annual award recognizes works, studies or projects that constitute a unique contribution to innovation in the drone sector, in the fields of aircraft design and systems technologies (including propulsion, communications, control, etc.), production, operation, drone traffic management, as well as the development of new applications. It has an endowment of 12,000 euros and this year 16 applications were submitted. The jury highlighted the quality and high level of many of the projects and unanimously agreed to award the prize to the work "Aerotaxi Lauren for single-person transport in an urban environment" by Mr. Íñigo Eguizábal del Río of the company TECNALIA.
For the jury, Eguizábal del Río's work represents a great innovation in the drone sector in Spain, as it is one of the first designs of vertical take-off electric air cab in our country and it is a very interesting platform to address applications in the field of urban aerial mobility, a field of great potential and which is currently in its early stages of development. It was also valued that "this interesting project will be very useful as an aerial platform to test U-SPACE solutions in the field of mobility. This new concept of drone traffic management will be key to the development of numerous solutions and will allow, through technological empowerment, to improve the quality of life of our citizens and will have a positive impact on our economy".