SAS 2019 Lands at UC Berkeley, Oct. 7-8, 2019

August 12, 2019

 SAS Poster

As startups and aviation giants alike are working on new innovations in aviation, ITS Berkeley and the Sustainable Aviation Foundation are leading the conversation with the Sustainable Aviation Symposium 2019 (SAS) Oct. 7-8, 2019.

 The event, which will be held at the UC Berkeley Student Union’s Pauley Ballroom, will help ask and address critical questions facing the aviation industry today.

 “As technology and innovation are changing how we live and travel, we are excited to bring together this group of experts to open up the conversation,” says symposium co-chair Jasenka Rakas, Deputy Director, UC Berkeley NEXTOR II.

 With new innovations like small, electric aircraft that can travel point to point, unlocking decades old visions for the next age of transportation, and prototype demonstrations already happening, the question has changed from “if” to “when” we will see wide application of Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

 But who is guiding this revolution, and by extension what will it look like? If UAM is the future of transportation, how should platforms be structured to make them work for everyone? How are inclusion and access ensured for the future? And what will it take to ensure that future is accessible and inclusive to all people?

 “This symposium asks critical questions about equity in the future of air transit, through a holistic examination of technology, platforms, urbanism and other emerging topics,” says symposium co-chair Brien Seeley, President, Sustainable Aviation Foundation. “We’re excited to present this amazing faculty and hope you’ll join us.”

 SAS 2019 is focused on safe, quiet, electric aviation solutions to the most pressing problems of our age: climate change, urban surface gridlock, and the need for integrated community and urban planning to enable high proximity aviation at meaningful scale.

 By bringing together a top slate of experts from UC Berkeley, NASA, top academic institutions, and aviation companies and foundations, this year’s symposium will convene thought leaders to answer these core questions: 

  • Which systems will win a dominant share of the market and why?
  • How will ‘urban air vehicles’ be made “airline-safe” and autonomous?
  • What new technologies are needed to converge to optimize the UAM system?
  • How will airparks affect wildlands, ground transit & communities large and small?
  • How will UAM freight and passengers make last-mile connections?
  • How will the air traffic of UAM be managed?
  • What roles will urban air vehicles have in emerging economies or natural disasters?

 As electric aviation attracts growing investment and aerospace majors enter the space, answers to the questions above are crucial. 

 SAS 2019 early bird registration is now available. Join their mailing list or follow SAS on Twitter to receive updates, or go to https://www.sasymposium.com/ for more information on speakers.

 About the UC Berkeley ITS

The University of California Institute for Transportation Studies develops leading-edge innovations influencing movement of people and goods and advancing sustainability, economic health, and quality of life.

 For over 70 years, ITS has been recognized as one of the world's leading centers for transportation research, education, and scholarship. The Institute was created in 1948 as an Organized Research Unit by the California state legislature. Today, it is the epicenter of study for all modes of transportation — from technological advances to social and environmental consequences.

 About the Sustainable Aviation Foundation

The Sustainable Aviation Foundation (SAF) is dedicated to improving human life through advances in aviation. Our focus is on the application of electric aviation at a meaningful scale to help solve these pressing problems of our age:

Climate change and climate-related disasters

  1. Surface gridlock and the attendant losses of human happiness and productivity
  2. The need for humane urban planning for billions of humans

 SAF believes that by bringing together experts and practitioners from a wide array of disciplines we can collectively advance Urban Air Mobility (UAM) as a sustainable and practical mass-transit solution.

 Sustainable Aviation Foundation, Inc. is an all-volunteer, non-profit, 501c3 educational organization organized and operated exclusively for public, charitable and educational purposes as a private foundation. It is recognized by the IRS as a tax-exempt private foundation under Section 501 (c) (3) of the Internal Revenue Code.