On June 26, 2026, partners of the new PEGASUS project gathered at Trinity College in Dublin to officially kick off the Horizon Europe research initiative.
With drones and electric aircraft already primed to deliver packages, monitor infrastructure, and even carry passengers, readiness stands as the main obstacle to implementation. Beyond technical readiness, regulatory, environmental, and social readiness must be resolved before widespread adoption of these new technologies.
That is precisely the gap PEGASUS has been designed to close, and FMCI is helping lead the way.
About the Project
PEGASUS (Piloting European Green Air Mobility and Services for Urban Societal Readiness) is a Horizon Europe research and innovation project. Its goal is to enable the safe, sustainable, and socially accepted deployment of Innovative Air Mobility (IAM) services, namely drones and eVTOL aircraft, into urban and peri-urban environments.
Central to the project is the development of a Societal Readiness Score (SRS), a framework that measures how technical, environmental, regulatory, and social factors influence whether IAM services can successfully integrate into people’s everyday lives. Through large-scale demonstrations, stakeholder engagement, and evidence-based policy development, PEGASUS will deliver practical tools and guidance for cities, regulators, and industry to plan for an airspace that includes far more than passenger aircraft.
The PEGASUS project brings together 19 partners, comprising universities, industry, public authorities, and technology providers from across Europe.
FMCI's Role
FMCI brings its IAM expertise to the PEGASUS project, bridging the gap between theory and deployment. As coordinator for the large-scale demonstration activities, FMCI will put the project’s technologies and operational concepts to the test in real-world conditions. FMCI will also develop infrastructure and logistics design guidance for future vertiports and drone operations, all while supporting regulatory assessment, policy development, and societal readiness evaluation.
By combining real flight demonstrations with public engagement and rigorous operational testing, FMCI’s contribution helps generate the evidence base PEGASUS needs to activate IAM deployment.
the big picture
FMCI exists to bridge the gap between emerging mobility technologies and real-world deployment. Through PEGASUS, we can help do just that. FMCI has long tackled the challenges of building public trust, navigating regulation, and proving that innovation works safely before it scales. Leading a Europe-wide demonstration effort positions FMCI—and Ireland—at the forefront of shaping how IAM services take off across the continent.
PEGASUS is Funded by the European Union. Views and opinions expressed are however those of the author(s) only and do not necessarily reflect those of the European Union or the European Climate, Infrastructure and Environment Executive Agency (CINEA). Neither the European Union nor CINEA can be held responsible for them.
