At LEAP 2026 in the capital of Saudi Arabia, executives from tech companies around the world came together to exchange ideas with start-ups and international investors on topics such as artificial intelligence, digital infrastructure, and unmanned systems. At the invitation of the organizers, Dr. Gerald Wissel was on site in Riyadh. The Chairman of the Executive Board of UAV DACH was a sought-after contact for representatives of international authorities as well as financial and investment companies who are closely monitoring developments in the European UAS and AAM industry.
Additionally, Dr. Gerald Wissel hosted a top-class panel on “The Next Evolution of Air Mobility: From Cleaner Fuel to Smarter Skies”. He discussed together with Professor Dr. Victoria Coleman (Professor of Electrical Engineering and Computer Sciences, UC Berkeley), Parmjit Dhanda (Executive Director, Back Heathrow), Musab Binafif (General Manager Commercial, The Helicopter Company) and Lionel Sinaï-Sinelnikoff (Strategic Advisory, Beyond Aero) how new participants can be integrated into shared airspace and how increasing traffic in lower airspace can be safely organized. In addition, thoughts and ideas were exchanged on how UAS can be understood as part of holistic business models and contribute to increasing the efficiency and quality of the aviation industry.
LEAP 2026 showed that unmanned systems are among the key technologies of the future and that enormous efforts are underway worldwide to tap into the emerging market. At the same time, it became clear once again that those responsible at the European level should not waste any time in creating supportive framework conditions for the UAS industry so that the connection to other regions of the world is not lost.