Die aktuelle Ausgabe der WFB News widmet sich dem Titelthema „Unbemannte Systeme“, und unser Geschäftsführer Harald Rossol kommt darin als Branchenexperte zu Wort. Wir fassen die wichtigsten Punkte zusammen.

Unbemannte Flugsysteme sind längst mehr als eine Spielerei für Luftaufnahmen: Der globale Markt für unbemannte Luftfahrzeuge wurde 2025 auf 28,81 Milliarden USD geschätzt und soll bis 2034 auf 69,62 Milliarden USD wachsen. Als führender Innovationsstandort verbindet Bremen dabei traditionelle Luft- und Raumfahrtkompetenz mit IT- und KI-Forschung.

Ein Standort mit Wissensvorsprung

„In Bremen haben wir eine riesige Basis an Know-how“, sagt Harald Rossol. Davon profitiere auch die unbemannte Luftfahrt mit einem Fokus auf Drohnentechnologien, digitaler Luftraumüberwachung und Anwendungen in der Agrar- und Seeraumüberwachung. Das DLR erforscht autonome Systeme für unbemannte Frachtdrohnen, Lufttaxis und Flugzeuge, das Fraunhofer IFAM arbeitet an der sicheren Integration von Drohnen in den Luftraum, und Unternehmen wie Optoprecision, b.r.m. IT & Aerospace oder Trilitec entwickeln Systeme für den Einsatz an Land, in der Agrarwirtschaft und in der Nordsee.

„Der größte Markt, der entstehen wird, ist in der Landwirtschaft“, so Rossol. Ob zur Erkennung von Rehkitzen oder von Schädlingsbefall – autonome Systeme erleichtern die Arbeit auf dem Feld enorm. „Da könnten wir vorne mitspielen. Vor allem bei spezialisierten Systemen haben wir die Kompetenz.“ Der zivile Markt befinde sich allerdings noch im Aufbau; entscheidend sei jetzt die Vernetzung aller Beteiligten, damit sich in Bremen langfristig eine Drone Economy etabliert. Deutlich dynamischer ist bereits das Verteidigungsfeld, das Rossol aktuell als „spannendsten Markt“ bezeichnet.

Vom Einzelflug zum koordinierten Luftraum

So vielfältig die Anwendungen sind – Drohnen im industriellen, universitären und zivilen Einsatz brauchen eine koordinierte Nutzung des Luftraums. Genau hier setzt die Arbeit der b.r.m. IT & Aerospace an: U-Space Lufträume werden europaweit als gemanagte Geozonen eingerichtet, in denen ein U-Space Service Provider die Luftraumnutzung koordiniert. Als künftiger USSP entwickeln wir mit der UAS-Leitstelle Bremen USSP die digitalen Dienste, die den sicheren, geregelten Betrieb vieler Drohnen im gemeinsamen Luftraum erst möglich machen.

Um das unter realen Bedingungen zu erproben, wird in der Region derzeit ein Reallabor geplant: ein geografisch abgegrenzter Luftraum für Drohnen – und ein weiterer Schritt, aus dem Bremer Wissensvorsprung eine dauerhafte Drone Economy zu machen.

Dieser Beitrag basiert auf dem Titelthema „Unbemannte Systeme“ der WFB News, Ausgabe Nr. 96 (September 2026), herausgegeben von der WFB Wirtschaftsförderung Bremen GmbH.

One remote pilot, one drone—this model reaches its limits as soon as unmanned aviation is to be used on a large scale. In the SKYLINE collaborative project, we are therefore developing a mission control center for automated and autonomous systems: Unlike a traditional control center, it enables the simultaneous monitoring of multiple drones as well as the planning and adjustment of missions in real time. In this way, SKYLINE addresses a key prerequisite for scalable drone operations—from advanced air mobility to logistics and agriculture.

From a technical standpoint, the focus is on three key components: a standardized interface between ROS2 and ArduPilot for easily connecting different types of drones; end-to-end encrypted communication between the aircraft and the control center; and a dedicated radio link between the Digital Hub Industry at the University of Bremen and the Oldenburg-Hatten Airport (EDWH). This allows drones to be controlled from the control center while missions take place in geographically remote locations. An agricultural scenario involving field surveying with a thermal camera serves as a demonstration use case. The system architecture is designed from the outset to be expandable to include ground- and water-based systems.

Our role: the aviation regulatory classification of operations via a mission control center; standardized operational and emergency procedures for the simultaneous operation of multiple UAS; the establishment of the radio link; and test flights and approval submissions at the Hatten-UAS German Flight Center. The results will be directly incorporated into the service portfolio of our UAS control center in Bremen: Through standardized procedures and a Remote Control Center, the barrier to market entry will be lowered in the future for anyone wishing to use mission control as a service. Together with our partner TOPAS, we are developing this into a “test-before-invest” offering for regional companies.

SKYLINE (Duration: 2026–2027) is funded by the State of Bremen through the BAB – Bremer Aufbau-Bank. The project partner is TOPAS Industriemathematik Innovation gGmbH.

You can find more information on our project page: https://brm.de/projekt-skyline/

From September 21 to 23, the German Society for Defense Technology focused entirely on artificial intelligence and unmanned systems. Our CEO, Harald Rossol, delivered a clear message: The architecture for military BVLOS drone swarms already exists—in civilian applications.

Unmanned systems are rapidly transforming the security and defense landscape. In particular, the use of drones beyond the pilot’s line of sight (BVLOS, Beyond Visual Line of Sight) and coordinated swarm flight place high demands on airspace management, data integration, and situational awareness. This was precisely the focus of the presentation “U-Space Architectures for Military BVLOS Swarms”—first as a short presentation in the plenary session, followed by four sessions at the poster station.

Four Principles for Scalable Swarm Operations

The discussion about AI in unmanned systems often centers on algorithms and machine learning models. Harald Rossol deliberately shifted the focus to the level below that and put forward four propositions for discussion:

Scaling rarely fails because of the model. When scaling up, AI-supported swarm operations typically do not reach the limits of the ML model, but rather those of the airspace and data layers on which they are based.

Civilian components are largely suitable for dual use. Many components from U-Space and BVLOS operations can also be used for military purposes. The key is to know exactly where one must consciously deviate from standard practice.

Meaningful human control is a matter of interfaces. When a person is responsible not for one but for many platforms at the same time, effective human control depends above all on good interfaces and a reliable situational picture—and less on doctrine.

Standardization today determines the costs of tomorrow. Early decisions about standards determine how interoperable systems will be later on and what their lifecycle costs will be.

Not a vision of the future, but a reality in practice

The second thesis was deliberately worded cautiously when it was submitted in the spring. After ten years of operational experience, the assessment today goes further: What is needed for military swarm operations does not have to be reinvented. The architecture already exists in the civilian sector and is in operation.

The foundation is provided by the Hatten-UAS German Flight Center at the Oldenburg-Hatten airfield, which is operated by b.r.m. BVLOS flights have been tested there since 2016; EUROCONTROL manages the site as a test and evaluation area—alongside the DLR. An airspace of approximately 3,600 square kilometers is available for unmanned aircraft systems, extending from the airfield out into the German Bight.

Another component is the Bremen UAS Control Center, which, as a prospective U-Space service provider, is currently in test operation. It provides U-Space services in accordance with EU Implementing Regulation 2021/664, the European legal framework for the safe integration of drones into airspace. This ensures that the infrastructure is compatible not only technically but also from a regulatory standpoint.

Light Field and Dark Field in the Digital Twin

The concept of a shared situational picture generated particular interest. Through data and sensor fusion in a digital twin, both the “known” and “unknown” areas become visible: not only cooperative aircraft that actively transmit their positions, but also non-cooperative objects that can be detected solely through sensors.

The point behind this is simple: Only those who know who is flying legally can identify those who are not. The “dark field” is not a new development here, but rather a follow-up question—existing sensor data can be incorporated into the digital twin via sensor fusion and compared against the “light field.”

What's Still Missing on the Military Front

Two factors distinguish civilian architecture from military applications.

First, ruggedized sensors and hardware. This is where specialized manufacturers excel—the purpose of an open architecture is to allow any ruggedized sensor to be integrated without having to rebuild the system.

Second, a certification framework for adaptive software. Civilian certification locks in the configuration: tested, approved, unchanged. In military applications, software updates are needed in the field. The digital twin carries this verification with it—the same code runs first in a simulation, then in a shadow environment against real telemetry, and finally on board. It isn’t rewritten, but rather executed in a different location.

One Airspace. One Picture. All Answers.

Harald Rossol summarized his presentation in a guiding principle: One Airspace. One Picture. All Answers. A shared airspace, a unified situational picture—and thus the answers that operators, authorities, and the armed forces alike need.

The DWT conference demonstrated just how great the interest is in solutions that have been proven in practice. We are pleased with the many discussions that took place at the event and look forward to continuing our dialogue with partners from the Bundeswehr, industry, and research—for example, at our Drone Days.

About b.r.m. IT & Aerospace

b.r.m. IT & Aerospace offers consulting and services related to BVLOS flights, UAS integration, and SORA. The company operates the Bremen UAS Control Center and the Hatten UAS German Flight Center, and organizes Drone Days to promote innovation and networking in the drone industry.

b.r.m. IT & Aerospace GmbH

Harald Rossol

harald.rossol@brm.de

+49 421 341494

Computationally intensive AI can consume up to 20 times more electricity under load than when idle. What if we were to schedule such computational tasks specifically for times when sufficient green energy is available? That is exactly what we are researching in the PRO-LAB project as part of the interdisciplinary energy research laboratory at the University of Bremen.

The goal: an intelligent control system that uses AI to perform tasks precisely when there is a surplus of renewable energy—such as that generated by the photovoltaic systems on-site. To achieve this, the system continuously aggregates energy data, information on cooling and ventilation, and weather data, and schedules computing processes accordingly. This helps avoid peak loads, lower energy demand, and reduce CO₂ emissions.

Our Green IT data center serves as the foundation for this initiative. The insights gained are intended to increase the efficiency of computing infrastructures in the future and thereby contribute to the climate goals of the State of Bremen.

The project is co-financed by the European Union and supported by the Senator for the Environment, Climate, and Science and the BAB – Bremer Aufbau-Bank.

More on this: https://brm.de/projekt-pro-lab/

Airspace for drones is becoming digital, and someone needs to coordinate it safely. This is exactly where our UAS-L-USSP HB project comes in: In Bremen, we are developing a prototype system for a future U-Space Service Provider (USSP). The goal is to bring the Bremen UAS Control Center to certification readiness and to enable the safe integration of unmanned aircraft into existing air traffic in accordance with EU Regulations 2019/945, 2019/947, and 2021/664.

The core of the project is the implementation of all six U-Space services: network identification, geosensing, flight authorization (including “strategic deconfliction”), traffic information, compliance monitoring, and weather information. To this end, we process traffic data (including ADS-B, FLARM, and Mode C/S) and weather data from the German Weather Service in automated decision-making processes, with a particular focus on dynamic risk assessment and the early detection of potential conflicts. The control center is being developed in our own Green IT data center.

The system will first be tested in a simulation environment and then in a realistic sample mission. This will take place, among other locations, at the Offshore Drone Campus Cuxhaven, where Fraunhofer IFAM, as a model customer with an offshore focus, will contribute real-world requirements. In this way, as the future USSP, we are laying the foundation for automated, scalable drone operations. For applications in logistics, inspection, and among government agencies and organizations with security responsibilities (BOS).

The project is co-financed by the European Union and supported by the Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation and BAB – Bremer Aufbau-Bank.

Here you'll find all the information about the project.

Drone Days was named a winner in the “Visionary Award” category at the 2026 NordWest Awards hosted by the Northwest Metropolitan Region.

At the awards ceremony on August 20 at the Lower Saxony Open-Air Museum in Cloppenburg, Drone Days prevailed against a strong field of 14 nominated finalists. In total, over 100 companies and projects were submitted. The WeiterdenkerAward is sponsored by EWE AG and swb AG and honors highly innovative ideas that make a significant contribution to the region’s further development. The certificate states that Drone Days “contribute to innovation and further development in an exemplary manner.”

For us, this award is a wonderful recognition of the work we’ve done over the past few years and of the role that unmanned aviation plays as a field of innovation for the Northwest Metropolitan Region. We’d like to thank the jury, the sponsors, and everyone who makes Drone Days possible: partners, exhibitors, speakers, and the entire community.

It’s just a few days away: Drone Days 2026 will take place from August 26 to 28 at Bremen Airport and the Oldenburg-Hatten Airfield. We’re looking forward to it!

When will drone technology become a full-fledged industry? And what role can Bremen play in this? Harald Rossol, CEO of b.r.m. IT & Aerospace, discusses these questions in the latest episode of the podcast “Go Global! Bremen Business Talks” with host Boris Felgendreher.

In this interview, Harald Rossol explains why the common perception of small quadcopters is misleading: The truly exciting developments are taking place in more complex, professional systems. From the end of the hype surrounding air taxis to the challenges of EU drone regulations and the question of jurisdiction regarding drone sightings, all the way to major future commercial markets—such as autonomous agriculture—this episode covers a wide range of topics. It also highlights the role that the safe integration of drones into airspace plays. This is a field in which b.r.m., as a future U-Space Service Provider (USSP), is active through the Bremen UAS Control Center. The episode also discusses Bremen’s significance as a long-established aviation hub and the role of Drone Days as a European platform for the emerging “drone economy.”

The “Go Global! Bremen Business Talks” podcast is a joint project of the Bremen Economic Development Agency, the Bremen Chamber of Commerce and Industry (IHK) for Bremen and Bremerhaven, and the Senator for Economic Affairs, Ports, and Transformation.

• Listen to the podcast online (Podigee): https://goglobal.podigee.io/52-vergiss-den-hobby-quadcopter-warum-die-echte-drohnen-wirtschaft-gerade-erst-beginnt-und-bremen-vorn-dabei-sein-kann 
• Listen to the podcast on Spotify: https://open.spotify.com/show/2hhgYbpXXBC8L40laHDqxm 
• Listen to the podcast on Apple Podcasts: https://podcasts.apple.com/podcast/id1560965455 

Listen now—and if you’re interested, you’re cordially invited to attend Drone Days 2026 from August 26 to 28 at Bremen Airport and Oldenburg-Hatten Airfield. Registration and all details are available at drone-days.de.

We have just wrapped up five busy days in Berlin: Markus Rossol and Harald Rossol represented b.r.m. IT & Aerospace at ILA 2026 in Berlin—at the North German Chalet on the joint booth of the State of Bremen, alongside our partners AES Aircraft, Esploro, Hanseatische Waren Handelsgesellschaft, TRIGO, and the DLR’s Virtual Product House.

Our ILA presentation focused on three key topics: U-Space and b.r.m.’s role as a future U-Space Service Provider (USSP), our specific U-Space corridor stretching from Bremen through Bremerhaven to Heligoland, and the Drone Days 2026 event in August, which will take place at Bremen Airport and Oldenburg-Hatten Airfield. With the new map of the Advanced Air Mobility Initiative for Northern Germany and the German Bight, we were able to continue and deepen these discussions at the ILA on both a national and international level.

We took advantage of our interactions with key institutions and government agencies—including the Federal Aviation Office (BAF), the Federal Ministry of the Interior (BMV), and the Federal Aviation Authority (LBA), as well as various state aviation authorities. In addition, we were able to establish numerous contacts with aviation companies and research institutions and promote Drone Days 2026, which will take place in August.

The ILA has once again demonstrated that unmanned aviation has become mainstream in the industry—and b.r.m. IT & Aerospace, as a future U-Space service provider, is right at the heart of it.

We’re already looking forward to ILA 2028 —until then, see you at Drone Days!

Starting tomorrow, Harald and Markus Rossol will be at ILA 2026 in Berlin—spending five days at the North German States’ shared chalet on the State of Bremen’s joint booth. You can find us at Chalet East, booths 22–24.

We’re bringing with us the new map of the Advanced Air Mobility Initiative for Northern Germany and the German Bight, as well as our concrete proposal for an initial U-Space and a VTOL route along the Weser River, from Bremerhaven to Heligoland. Following its successful debut at AERO in Friedrichshafen, we are now presenting the project to an even broader audience of industry professionals at ILA.

Our schedule includes meetings with the BAF, the BMV, the LBA, and other institutions—the ILA brings together the key players in the German aviation industry in one place.

Are you also attending the ILA? Feel free to contact us—by email or in person at the Bremen joint booth in the North German States’ Chalet.

Next week is the big event: From June 10 to 14, 2026, the ILA Berlin will take place—the world’s oldest aerospace trade fair and one of the most important industry platforms in Europe. Around 750 exhibitors from 37 countries will present the full spectrum of the aerospace industry at the Berlin ExpoCenter Airport in Schönefeld—ranging from civil aviation to space technology and defense to the supply industry. 

b.r.m. IT & Aerospace will be on site at the North German Chalet (Chalets East | 22–24). Together with the other exhibitors, we will be representing the State of Bremen at the joint booth. Our topics at the ILA: our concrete proposal for a U-Space for the Bremen-Bremerhaven-Helgoland corridor, our work as a future U-Space Service Provider (USSP), the Advanced Air Mobility Initiative for Northern Germany and the German Bight, as well as Drone Days 2026, which will take place in August at Bremen Airport and Oldenburg-Hatten Airfield.

For us, the ILA is one of the most important platforms for engaging with government agencies, aviation authorities, and the industry. At AERO in Friedrichshafen, we were able to present our U-Space proposal to an industry audience—and at the ILA, we are continuing these discussions at both the national and international levels.

We look forward to exhibiting at the Bremen joint booth alongside our strong partners:

• AES Aircraft Elektro/Elektronik System GmbH is an internationally established supplier to the aviation industry and has been developing and manufacturing electrical and electronic products for aircraft cabins for 20 years.
• Esploro specializes in the management and support of national and EU-funded research projects in the aviation sector and oversees projects with a total funding volume of over 300 million euros.
• Hanseatische Waren Handelsgesellschaft offers custom-made titanium products for the aerospace industry and has operated its own smelter for special alloys since 2021.
• TRIGO Qualitaire GmbH is a multinational provider of operational quality management services with more than 10,000 professionals in 25 countries, serving clients in the aviation and defense industries, among others.
• The DLR's Virtual Product House at ECOMAT in Bremen is driving forward digital aircraft development and working on the virtual certification of aircraft components.

Would you like to meet us at the ILA in the North German Chalet (Chalets East | 22–24)? We look forward to hearing from you—either by email or by phone (contact Harald Rossol or Markus Rossol).