We sat down with Ronni Winkler Østergaard, Co-founder and COO at our newest member Skypuzzler, to discuss his outlook on industry challenges and Skypuzzler’s role within our Association and the UTM value chain.
” I am excited that Skypuzzler has become a member of GUTMA, which shows Skypuzzler’s commitment to enhancing flight safety within the UTM industry. This membership provides us with a valuable opportunity to collaborate with stakeholders across the global UTM ecosystem, share insights, contribute to the ongoing development of safe and efficient drone integration, and support the evolution of UTM solutions worldwide. “
Ronni Winkler Østergaard, Co-founder and COO at Skypuzzler
What kind of services/products does SKYPUZZLER provide?
Skypuzzler’s product, integrated Digital Air Traffic Control (iDATC), enables drones to fly safely without colliding with other drones, objects, or airspace users. iDATC is a module for UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) systems providing capabilities to perform Conflict Resolution Services (CRS) in the area of advanced strategic and tactical conflict resolution and mitigation services. With its holistic traffic view, iDATC utilises UTM’s real-time data: flight plan data, weather, static and dynamic environment data, tracking, no-fly zones, etc. iDATC revolutionises flight safety and efficiency with its ability to adjust separation minima based on performance-based navigation. Utilising satellite-based precision navigation technologies ensures unparalleled positional accuracy. It maximises airspace utilisation without compromising flight safety, enabling the UTM systems to scale and handle complex traffic situations in congested airspace and around vertiports.
What role is skypuzzler going to play within GUTMA?
Skypuzzler aims to contribute to GUTMA by fostering collaboration and innovation within the UTM ecosystem. We will actively participate in shaping global standards and advocating for interoperability to ensure safe and efficient drone operations. By leveraging our expertise, we will support policy development, technological advancements, and industry-wide integrations to enhance airspace management.
From your perspective, what are the current biggest industry challenges?
The biggest challenge in the drone industry is that drones are not flying on a scale sufficient to satisfy their business potential and market demands. This issue impacts various stakeholders, including government agencies and companies, who are either regulating airspace to ensure flight safety or providing services by employing drones across various industries in closed corridors. Companies reliant on drones for services such as delivery are confronted with scalability issues due to their limitation of operation to restricted areas or corridors not aligned with their customer and business demands, which is essential for fostering sustainable business practices. Standardisation, international harmonisation, and cooperation combined with a pragmatic approach are key to overcoming regulatory and technical barriers to enable seamless drone operations worldwide. Yet, this must be done while maintaining a very high level of flight safety, which is where Skypuzzler’s integrated Digital Air Traffic Control and our team’s knowledge and expertise come into the picture.
What are the advantages of engaging and cooperating with other stakeholders within theUTM ecosystem value chain?
Engaging and cooperating with other UTM ecosystem stakeholders allows Skypuzzler to enhance interoperability and efficiency by aligning our expertise and knowledge with industry standards and ecosystem requirements. Collaboration is key, and with so many different UTM ecosystem stakeholders present, utilising their knowledge and expertise can only benefit the wider drone industry globally.
ABOUT RONNI WINKLER ØSTERGAARD
Ronni Winkler Østergaard is one of the three founders of Skypuzzler and a former Air Traffic Controller. Ronni has over 25 years of aviation experience and 10 years as a subject matter expert in the Unmanned Traffic Management (UTM) industry. He has been part of the European work defining U-space and regulatory framework since the beginning of 2015.
ABOUT SKYPUZZLER
Skypuzzler is a pioneering deep-tech company revolutionising the aviation industry by offering a breakthrough solution for advanced conflict detection and resolution, where flight safety and quality are paramount. Skypuzzler’s iDATC upholds this due to the team’s decades of experience as air traffic controllers, computer scientists in deep-tech software development and industry experts. Skypuzzler was founded in January 2022 and has 16 employees in our three offices in Copenhagen (Denmark), Bergen (Norway), and Toulouse (France). Skypuzzler upholds ISO9001 and ISO14001 certifications, and ISO27001 is planned for June 2025.
For more information visit Skypuzzlers’s website or connect with the company via its LinkedIn page
