Between 2-5 April, OLGA project participated in the Connecting Europe Days, Europe’s mobility flagship event. By joining two exhibitions organised within the event, the project displayed its environmental innovations contributing to shaping sustainable, smart and resilient mobility.
Connecting Europe Days has drawn the attention of over 2,500 participants from EU Member States and neighbouring countries, including Switzerland, Norway, and Western Balkan partners. Among the distinguished attendees were ministers, politicians, industry representatives, and stakeholders in the transportation sector, all converging to discuss and exchange ideas on building a sustainable, smart, and resilient transport network across Europe.
As the event focused on key themes such as the revision of European Transport Corridors, climate resilience, connectivity with neighbouring countries, and funding opportunities for infrastructure projects, the participation of the OLGA project stood out for its dedication to promoting sustainable aviation and green airports.
In collaboration with its sister projects, STARGATE, TULIPS, and ALIGHT, the OLGA project joined the exhibition of the Connecting Europe by Air side event, held and co-organised by Brussels Airport Company. This event convened policymakers and industry stakeholders to discuss aviation's pivotal role in ensuring connectivity and sustainability within the European transport system. The event featured panel discussions exploring aviation's contribution to connectivity and multimodality in the EU transport network, with a focus on collaboration, research, and financing as drivers for decarbonization in the aviation sector. Special attention was given to airports and their crucial role in Europe's transport infrastructure. As EU Commissioner for Transport, Adina Valean emphasised: “Airports are not only crucial to move people and goods quickly, but also have an important role as the clean energy hubs along Europe’s transport network”.
At the main exhibition of Connecting Europe Days, held in the marketplace at Square Convention Centre, attendees were able to engage with different EU-funded projects, including OLGA. Thanks to the successful coordination of ACI Europe, a stand showcasing state-of-the-art acceleration in airside electrification of airport operations was put in place, gathering European airports, including Budapest Airport, Groupe ADP Paris-Charles de Gaulle and Paris Orly airports, SEA Milan Airports, and Riga Airport. These electrification projects are supported by Connecting Europe Facilities – Alternative Fuel Infrastructure Facilities (CEF AFIF). The presence of Groupe ADP and SEA in both H2020 Green Airport and CEF AFIF projects highlights the complementary of these programs as well as the pivotal role of airports in decarbonising the aviation sector.
Through its presence at Connecting Europe Days 2024, OLGA continues its pursuit of a more environmentally friendly and resilient transport system. As Europe strives to achieve the ambitious goals outlined in the EU Green Deal and Sustainable and Smart Mobility Strategy, initiatives like OLGA play a vital role in shaping the future of aviation and ensuring a more sustainable and interconnected Europe.