Puglia to become European hub for advanced air mobility training

Puglia is poised to become a leading European centre for training in the advanced air mobility (AAM) sector, following the official launch of AIRMOB – Developing Skills and Capabilities for Innovative AIR Mobility. 

The four-year project, funded by the European Commission, was launched in March and aims to address pressing skills and workforce gaps in the rapidly evolving air mobility industry.

The project is being led by Deep Blue, a Rome-based SME specialising in aviation research and training. 

In collaboration with partners including EuroUSC Italia, the Aerospace Technology District (DTA), the University of Salento (Unisalento), and ITS Mobilità Sostenibile Aerospazio, AIRMOB sets out to build an integrated ecosystem that bridges education, industry, and policy.

“AIRMOB aims to concretely respond to the challenges of air mobility of the future: lack of specialised skills, difficulty in innovation and technological integration in SMEs, and lack of qualified workforce,” the project team stated in a press release.

Training the AAM workforce

To address these challenges, AIRMOB will introduce 20 new training courses across five European countries, provide 15 career kits, offer refresher courses for industry professionals, and facilitate international internships for more than 240 students. 

These initiatives are designed to equip young professionals and existing workers with the competencies needed to support the development and deployment of advanced air mobility solutions.

Furthermore, Deep Blue, as project coordinator, will oversee the development of a multilingual online platform hosting educational materials, job opportunities, and a virtual assistant—IAM-GPT—powered by artificial intelligence. 

“AIRMOB is a crucial project as it offers a strategic opportunity to consolidate the development of Innovative Air Mobility in Italy and Europe,” said Aurora De Bortoli Vizioli, Senior Consultant and Project Manager at Deep Blue. 

“As leader of the project, Deep Blue’s role will be to foster synergy between industry, academia, and policymakers at both national and transnational levels, in order to ensure sustainability and growth opportunities for the future of the sector.”