Rome, October 7th, 2024 – The partnership focuses on joint innovation projects, sharing insights, best practices and technological knowledge. On the one hand, ADR Innovation Hub will share its know-how on startups acceleration achieved during the ADR “Runway to the future” editions. On the other hand, Lufthansa Innovation Hub will share insights and opportunities based on its research, venture building and venture clienting activities.

The MoU outlines key areas of collaboration, including:

• Partnership regarding ADR acceleration program ‘Runway to the Future’:

This includes regular exchange about startups and innovative services, relevant innovative projects and pilot tests as well as the parties’ respective KPIs. An example of a possible project is the exchange on service robotics, for example, with the start-up Ottonomy, a deep tech startup providing contactless deliveries using fully autonomous robots, with which both companies are already collaborating.

• Co-development of pilots:

This includes scheduling tests on potential innovative solutions on a regular basis, create a common knowledge for current and future projects, and coordinate the development of relevant proof of concepts in the respective companies of hardware or software solutions. This will allow to both ADR and Lufthansa Innovation Hub to collaborate not only in identifying the solutions put on the market by the most innovative startups, but also to test them, with ad hoc Proofs of Concepts (PoCs) in both the aeronautical and infrastructural fields.

• Collaboration on startup partnerships:

This includes sharing of use-cases, solutions and problems regarding the scouting and creation of new ventures, regular exchange on developments in the startup ecosystem, and knowledge sharing when it comes to trends, market dynamics, and the status quo of the venture capital industry.

ADR, a Mundys Group company managing and developing the Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports through its Open Innovation Model will support Lufthansa Innovation Hub in its plans to intensify innovation efforts in the airport sector.

Three years ago, ADR launched the 'Runway to the Future' acceleration program, which supports startups in developing their solutions within our airport over a period of 8 months. Since its inception, our program has attracted nearly 1,000 startups from all over the world, with 60% of applicants coming from abroad.
Remarkably, in the 2024 edition, we received 716 applications from 389 startups coming from 42 countries. Since the beginning ADR launched 40 pilots with startups implementing AI, Automation & Robotics to address specific operational and sustainability challenges faced by airports.

From the very beginning, the Lufthansa Innovation Hub has been committed to open innovation in the form of knowledge sharing, collaboration, and continuous exchange with the travel ecosystem. Recognizing the central role airports play in the travel experience, Lufthansa Innovation Hub has in the past published several airport-related research pieces. Now it is set to significantly intensify its innovation efforts in this area and even make it a key focus of its future strategy.

“This partnership represents a strategic collaboration in advancing the aviation industry” states Emanuele Calà, Senior Vice President of Transformation & Technology at Aeroporti di Roma and Managing Director at ADR Ventures. “We are committed to collaboration as a key leverage to shape the future of the aviation industry, we are proud to work alongside Lufthansa Innovation Hub."

“As a crucial part of the travel experience, we see airports as a highly relevant field for innovation” says Dr. Stefan Nothelfer, Director Partnerships and New Business Ventures at Lufthansa Innovation Hub. “Building on our previous venture clienting and research activities in this area, we are more than pleased about the cooperation with ADR Innovation Hub. We definitely aim to work even more closely with airports in the future.”



About Lufthansa Innovation Hub

At Lufthansa Innovation Hub, we are guided by our insatiable ambition to accelerate the next in travel to maximize value across a portfolio of travel companies and products.
Our Strategic Intelligence team systematically analyzes new developments in the global travel and mobility tech ecosystem. Our New Business team launches new travel startups and business models into the market. Our Transformation team helps the Lufthansa Group to be more innovative.
The Lufthansa Innovation Hub has offices in Berlin and Singapore. With Germany (8th) and Singapore (5th) both ranking in the top ten of the Global Innovation Index.


About ADR Innovation Hub

ADR Innovation Hub, located at Terminal 1 of Fiumicino Airport, allows us to co-create and test solutions with startups in a real-world environment, ensuring that every innovation is practical, scalable, and directly beneficial to passengers and operations.
Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group company, manages and develops the Rome Fiumicino and Ciampino airports and carries out other activities related and complementary to airport management. Over the past seven years, Aeroporti di Roma has received numerous awards, recognitions and quality certificates.



Contacts Aeroporti di Roma

Roberto Rao – roberto.rao@adr.it
Giorgia Rossi – giorgia.rossi@adr.it
Francesco Garibaldi – francesco.garibaldi@adr.it
Eleonora Caradonna – eleonora.caradonna@adr.it