news
Fiumicino, 4 December 2025 – Business ideas from around the world and new development trajectories to continue building the airport of the future: on 3 December, the fourth edition of the Call4Startups officially kicked off at the Innovation Hub of Rome Fiumicino Airport as part of the ‘Runway to the Future’ acceleration programme promoted by Aeroporti di Roma, a Mundys Group company. This year, over 400 applications were received from more than 350 start-ups, 75% of which coming from abroad, further confirming the international appeal of the open innovation model developed by ADR.
The selected startups will work for the next eight months at Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, where they will have the opportunity to develop and test their innovative solutions directly in the field, in a real operating environment. Guiding them through this journey will be the Innovation Cabin Crew, a multidisciplinary team of 25 ADR professionals who will act as mentors to support the integration of new technologies into airport processes, helping to improve operations and enhance the passenger experience.
‘The launch of the fourth edition of the Runway to The Future programme confirms our commitment to accelerate the transformation of our airport into a true smart city,’ said Emanuele Calà, Senior Vice President of Transformation & Technology at Aeroporti di Roma & Managing Director of ADR Ventures. ‘The selected startups will implement solutions ranging from automation to artificial intelligence, working closely with the Innovation Cabin Crew inside the Innovation Hub, strengthening Fiumicino's role as a global trialling platform.’
During the December 3 event, the selected startups presented cutting-edge technological solutions across various sectors, including artificial intelligence, automation, robotics, and active noise reduction. Highlights included: an autonomous robot for sanitizing environments and surfaces; an intelligent system to digitalize inspections and maintenance; a machine for automated baggage handling; and a platform for real-time monitoring of construction progress. The event also served as a meaningful opportunity for collaboration, featuring initial working groups, networking moments, and one-on-one meetings between the startups and ADR’s partners – all with the aim of shaping the airport of tomorrow, together.
The Call4Startups is a key element of Aeroporti di Roma's broader innovation strategy, which aims to co-develop new solutions, conduct direct experimentation, and foster cross-contamination of skills in order to accelerate the evolution of the airport system into an open, international model designed to improve operational efficiency, promote sustainability, and respond more effectively to passenger needs.
Aeroporti di Roma
Aeroporti di Roma is part of the Mundys Group and manages and develops Rome’s Fiumicino and Ciampino airports, as well as other related and complementary activities connected to airport management. Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino is one of only two hubs in Europe — and twelve worldwide — to hold a 5-Star Skytrax rating for excellent service quality standards and has been recognized as the best airport in the world for airport security. It features two passenger terminals and serves both business and leisure travelers on domestic, international, and intercontinental routes. G.B. Pastine Airport in Ciampino is primarily used by low-cost carriers, express couriers, and General Aviation operations.
Over the years, ADR has worked tirelessly to build the airport of the future — a sustainable and innovative infrastructure that combines operational efficiency with customer focus, along with a strategy to promote Italy’s cultural and artistic heritage in all its forms. Thanks to this vision, Fiumicino Airport has been recognized by ACI World as Europe’s Best Airport for Service Quality in the “over 40 million passengers” category for eight consecutive years. In 2025, Leonardo da Vinci Airport in Fiumicino was also confirmed by ACI Europe as Best European Airport for the seventh time in the past eight years.
AEROPORTI DI ROMA – PRESS CONTACTS
Press Office: +39 345 1283176 +39 338 6572828 +39 366 6189258
Foreign Press: +39 339 8177825