The demonstration day of the aerospace applications developed by the DTA as part of the CALLIOPE project took place on December 16, 2024, under the title “Technologies and Aerospace Solutions for One Health – Demonstration Day.” The event featured 18 speakers and more than 60 participants. It was also included in the program of the National Space Day organized by the Italian Space Agency.
During the day, DTA and the partner High Lander have conducted an operative live demonstration of an aerial operations involving 2 UASs, piloted by DTA team, managed by the UAS mission management ORION, provided by High Lander.
Drones as small flying environmental inspectors. The new technologies, studied and tested at the Grottaglie airport and beyond, will be used for environmental monitoring. The project is already set in stone. Yesterday morning, ARPA Puglia (Apulian Agency for Environment Protection) and the Distretto Tecnologico Aerospaziale (DTA) signed the agreement to use drones and remotely piloted aircraft to support the activities of the Regional Agency for Environmental Protection.
The signing of the agreement took place in Taranto, at the Castello Aragonese, during the initiative organized by the DTA on the theme “Technologies and Aerospace Solutions for One Health,” as part of the Calliope project, also known as the Casa delle Tecnologie Emergenti of Taranto. The agreement was signed by Giuseppe Acierno, president and general manager of the Aerospace Technology District, and Vito Bruno, general manager of Arpa Puglia.
The agreement will last for two years. Arpa Puglia and DTA have appointed the responsible parties who will organize the necessary technical and operational activities, providing regular updates on the progress of the activities. For Arpa Puglia, the reference person is Dr. Roberto Greco. For DTA, the reference person is Dr. Antonio Zilli.
The collaboration aims to achieve important objectives, such as identifying environmental issues compatible with the use of unmanned aerial vehicles and developing operational procedures to support environmental monitoring activities based on these systems and possibly other emerging aerospace technologies. Furthermore, the focus is on developing specialized skills, operational capabilities, and data processing procedures within environmental monitoring activities.
Vito Bruno, the general director of Arpa Puglia, stated that “work on drones and technological innovation is part of the strategic vision of Arpa Puglia.” “In recent years, we have trained operators with the highest professionalism and specialization, specifically to intervene in monitoring and environmental investigation activities. We have made significant investments in equipment and specialized interventions, particularly focused on the Taranto area. Now, we look to the future by signing a strategic agreement with the Aerospace Technology District to strengthen the institutional network in the region and have a partner with which to introduce further elements of innovation. The goal,” Bruno concluded, “is to strengthen and enhance the role of the agency as a control entity, using not only traditional models of analysis and verification but also the latest technological innovations.”
Giuseppe Acierno, president and general director of the DTA, emphasized that “the agreement allows us to bring know-how, skills, and infrastructure to the service of one of the most important regional agencies and to collaborate with it to enhance technologies and solutions serving the community and quality of life. Together with Arpa, we will work to strengthen the monitoring and intervention capabilities that come from using data from drones and satellites.”
The specificity of the Grottaglie area, as well as the peculiarities of air quality monitoring, was also highlighted by Acierno: “Signing the agreement in the city of Taranto, while simultaneously testing the first services dedicated to air, water, green space, and emission control, holds great value for us and is a particular motivation to operate with commitment. Equally important is positioning the District, its organization, and the expertise accumulated by its human resources among the pioneers of these solutions on the national stage, raising the bar and once again positioning Puglia as a reference in the aerospace sector.”
