The Smart Mobility Program is a strategic initiative of strong social relevance, designed to rethink transportation through innovation, sustainability, and inclusion. More than a technological project, it represents a living platform for holistic and interdisciplinary education, in line with Lizard’s vision, which aims to integrate knowledge, experience, and human development. Below are the main areas of specialization.

Air Operations and Turnaround Management within the Smart Mobility Ecosystem

Within the Smart Mobility program, a dedicated team oversees and manages integrated flight operations, ensuring that every air mission is conducted safely, efficiently, and in compliance with international regulations. This workgroup functions as a central operational hub, bridging strategic planning with real-time operations management, with particular focus on the fluidity, agility, and resilience of aeronautical flows.

Daily activities include the complete coordination of flight missions, from flight planning to operational execution, with an emphasis on optimized routing, fuel planning, weather conditions, and regulatory requirements. The team maintains ongoing communication with air navigation service providers to efficiently manage slot availability, temporary airspace restrictions, and traffic flows in both controlled and uncontrolled environments.

A central component of the activity involves operational control, supported by a dedicated infrastructure for real-time tracking and decision-making in managing diversions, re-planning, and emergency situations. The team also ensures continuous compliance with international standards (EASA, ICAO, FAA), keeping operational manuals, onboard documentation, and crew credentials up to date.

Significant attention is devoted to technological integration: advanced digital platforms are employed for dynamic mission planning and management, fostering a data-driven approach supported by real-time analytics and predictive modeling. The team collaborates closely with IT and logistics departments to enhance responsiveness and service quality.

A second key area of intervention involves the ground handling of aircraft and turnaround operations. This process, which unfolds during the critical window between flight arrival and departure, is managed in an integrated way to ensure safety, timeliness, and operational speed. Activities include parking assistance, passenger disembarkation and boarding, baggage handling, refueling, technical inspections, cabin cleaning, and the provisioning of all onboard services.

The efficient use of ground support equipment (GSE), continuous coordination between ground and flight operators, and the implementation of standardized yet adaptable real-time protocols ensure smooth operations. This approach minimizes downtime and maximizes fleet availability and reliability.

In the context of advanced, regional, and intermodal air mobility, the work of this team represents a strategic component for the success and scalability of intelligent transportation solutions, ensuring that every mission is not only executed, but orchestrated with precision, awareness, and systemic vision.

Integrated Aeronautical Engineering and Technical Oversight of the Zephyrus One Program

Within the Smart Mobility Program, a multidisciplinary technical workgroup is responsible for the engineering supervision and development of the Zephyrus One aircraft—an experimental hybrid-propulsion aircraft designed for STOL operations and regional mobility. This team acts as the technical control center, ensuring design coherence across engineering disciplines from the conceptual phase to certification.

Their work includes defining the overall aircraft architecture, integrating aerodynamics, structures, propulsion systems, avionics, and operational interfaces. Special attention is given to the tri-surface configuration (canard, high wing, tail) and the balance between performance, safety, and environmental sustainability, with a specific focus on optimizing the hybrid system based on an APU and buffer battery.

The group manages the integration of all onboard subsystems, ensuring structural, functional, and operational compatibility. Activities include verifying interactions between avionics, propulsion, environmental systems, and energy management, taking into account weight, accessibility, and reliability criteria. Continuous collaboration across engineering domains is maintained to prevent interference and optimize the technical configuration.

Structurally, the team focuses on the use of advanced, sustainable materials, employing FEM simulations and load tests to ensure both lightness and strength. Design choices are guided by environmental criteria, with close attention to material life cycle and recyclability.

The team also supervises the entire certification pathway, developing technical documentation, conducting safety and reliability analyses (e.g., FMEA, FMECA), and ensuring full compliance with applicable regulatory requirements (e.g., CS-23 or CS-LUAS). Interactions with aviation authorities, industrial partners, and certification bodies are integral to daily operations.

In parallel, the team coordinates digital simulations (CFD, digital twin), ground testing, and experimental flight campaigns—from initial engine start to performance validation. It collaborates with production, testing, and support teams to deliver the final prototype in line with program objectives.

The group also plays an active role in technical training, contributing to the creation of educational materials for pilots, technicians, and engineers, and developing advanced simulation scenarios aligned with operational needs and emerging technologies.

Finally, it maintains ongoing dialogue with research and sustainability departments, contributing to the implementation of low-impact environmental solutions and evaluating the aircraft’s suitability for new short-range, intermodal, and high-efficiency mobility networks. The work of this group is critical to ensuring technical robustness, integrated vision, and systemic coherence throughout the entire lifecycle of the program.

Avionics Systems Integration and Digital Architectures for Intelligent Aircraft

Within the Zephyrus One program, a specialized technical team is responsible for the design, integration, and validation of avionics systems, ensuring that every onboard component—from flight control computers to communication and navigation instruments—is fully interoperable and aligned with the safety, performance, and usability standards required in the context of intelligent air mobility.

This team is tasked with defining the avionics architecture from the earliest conceptual stages, selecting the most suitable technologies to support advanced regional missions and complex operational environments. Integration includes EFIS, GPS/INS, VHF/UHF, transponders, ADS-B, as well as cockpit digital interfaces and HMI systems. Activities are carried out in close coordination with the aeronautical engineering, UX/UI, and flight operations teams.

Advanced simulation environments (SIL/HIL) are developed to replicate real-world scenarios and system behavior under both normal and abnormal conditions. Using digital twin logic, the team validates the performance, robustness, and responsiveness of the avionics systems both during pre-flight phases and throughout testing campaigns.

In parallel, the group handles the planning and execution of ground and flight tests, overseeing the setup of avionics test benches and the real-time collection of operational performance data. Testing activities are supported by dedicated software platforms and specialized diagnostic tools, which are also used to define predictive maintenance strategies.

A central element of the team’s work involves the development of cockpit interfaces, designed to reduce pilot cognitive workload and enhance situational awareness. The team contributes to the development of training simulators, ensuring consistency between simulated behavior and real avionics logic. Interactive procedures, electronic checklists, and automated anomaly management modes are implemented.

All activities are conducted in compliance with international certification standards, with particular attention to critical software and hardware standards (DO-178C, DO-254), CS-23/CS-STAN regulatory requirements, and cybersecurity aspects. The team works in synergy with regulatory authorities and digital security specialists to ensure communication integrity, protection against GNSS threats (jamming/spoofing), and resilience of remote control channels.

Finally, this group ensures the operational compatibility of avionics systems with digital air traffic services, U-space/UTM infrastructures, and ground stations, supporting the full integration of the aircraft into intelligent transport networks and next-generation intermodal systems. Its work represents a key pillar for the safe, seamless, and connected operation of the Zephyrus One aircraft within advanced smart mobility ecosystems.

Aeronautical Certification and Airworthiness Management in the Zephyrus One Program

Within the Zephyrus One program, a highly specialized team is responsible for ensuring regulatory compliance of the aircraft project—from the conceptual phase through certification and continued airworthiness management. This workgroup serves as the technical and strategic interface with aeronautical authorities, both European (EASA, ENAC) and international (FAA), coordinating the entire certification pathway and integrating regulatory requirements into the design, testing, and operational processes.

Activities begin with the definition of the certification strategy, identifying the applicable regulatory framework (e.g., CS-23, CS-LUAS, FAA Part 23) based on the aircraft class, operational context, and level of technological innovation. In collaboration with the design and engineering teams, certification plans, compliance checklists, and Means of Compliance are developed to ensure that each requirement is traceable and properly validated through documented processes.

This team oversees the preparation of all technical documentation required for approval, including safety assessments, functional analyses, flight conditions, and experimental flight authorization requests. It also coordinates operational relationships with the Flight Test Organization and testing teams to plan flight campaigns and gather certifiable data.

A core focus of the team’s activity is airworthiness engineering, which includes the integration of safety analyses (FHA, PSSA, SSA, FMEA/FMECA) throughout the development cycle. The team ensures configuration and change management, maintaining design integrity and change traceability in accordance with standards required for initial certification and post-certification compliance.

In parallel, programs for continued airworthiness are developed, including ICA (Instructions for Continued Airworthiness), maintenance schedules, and procedures for implementing Airworthiness Directives (ADs), Service Bulletins (SBs), and reliability monitoring systems. This work also supports the drafting of OSD (Operational Suitability Data) packages, which are essential for ensuring the aircraft’s operational fitness in both commercial and experimental scenarios.

The team maintains continuous alignment with emerging regulatory frameworks, participating in working groups on Advanced Air Mobility and contributing to the development of digital certification approaches for advanced configurations and hybrid propulsion systems. This proactive approach allows for early integration of future certifiability criteria into the project design phase.

The work of this team represents a fundamental pillar for the regulatory and operational success of the Zephyrus One project, ensuring technical compliance, system safety, and controlled access to the airspace scenarios in which smart mobility becomes a concrete reality.

Advanced Simulation and Immersive Training for Intelligent Air Operations

Within the Zephyrus One program, a dedicated team in charge of training development and simulation ensures that the training of pilots, engineers, and technical personnel accurately reflects the real operational conditions of the aircraft. This is achieved through high-fidelity flight dynamics, immersive digital environments, and multi-variable, competency-oriented scenarios. The team is responsible for the design, implementation, and continuous updating of simulation systems and training programs, in alignment with the technical, regulatory, and operational requirements of the Smart Mobility context.

The activity begins with the definition of the simulation architecture, selecting the most suitable solutions based on training objectives and required realism levels (e.g., FNPT, FTD, FFS, or customized digital platforms). Complete dynamic models of the aircraft are developed, integrated with avionics logic and user interfaces consistent with the actual configuration. The team oversees the qualification of simulators in accordance with EASA requirements or, where applicable, validated experimental pathways.

In parallel, training programs are structured based on evidence-based (EBT) and competency-based (CBT) principles, featuring realistic scenarios that include anomaly management, decision-making, CRM, and interaction with automated systems. Training activities are tailored for flight crews, engineers, and maintenance personnel, through technical modules, LOFT sessions, and mission simulations.

The team ensures that each training program complies with current regulations, including OSD (Operational Suitability Data) requirements, and reflects the evolving technical configuration of the aircraft. Collaboration with the avionics, airworthiness, and UX departments ensures continuous updates, maintaining consistency between training and the operational behavior of the aircraft system.

Particular attention is paid to the replication of cockpit interfaces and pilot-system interaction. Simulation environments are designed to support personalized briefing and debriefing, adaptive evaluation tools, and performance analytics. The group adopts a human-centered design approach to enhance usability, situational awareness, and the quality of interaction in high-complexity operational contexts.

The team is also committed to innovating training platforms, integrating augmented/virtual reality (AR/VR) solutions, web-based procedural simulators, and cloud-based environments for remote learning. In collaboration with IT departments, full integration with LMS systems and training data analytics is ensured to support continuous program improvement.

The entire simulation and training ecosystem is designed to dynamically adapt to project changes, support operational scalability, and train highly qualified personnel capable of operating efficiently, safely, and with awareness in the new scenarios of intelligent air mobility.

Architectural and Environmental Design of Infrastructure for Sustainable Air Mobility

Within the framework of the Smart Mobility Program, a team specialized in architectural and environmental design is responsible for the development of lightweight, functional, and harmoniously landscape-integrated infrastructure to support air operations of the Zephyrus One aircraft. This group works closely with engineers, planners, and operational technicians to design airport hubs, airstrips, and low-impact terminals, promoting a new infrastructural paradigm based on sustainability, modularity, and respect for the territory.

The team’s work includes the design of reversible and environmentally efficient infrastructure, capable of integrating into both natural and built environments without disrupting ecological balance. Each intervention is conceived to minimize land consumption, enhance local identities, and connect operational and hospitality spaces through multifunctional, user-friendly design. The use of natural or recycled materials, combined with landscape solutions attentive to user well-being, defines an architectural approach oriented toward environmental resilience.

The team collaborates with structural engineers and airport specialists to ensure that the layout of operational areas (runways, aprons, technical zones) aligns with the logistical, aerodynamic, and regulatory requirements of the program. Special attention is paid to accommodating STOL capabilities and the specific needs of the aircraft’s hybrid propulsion system, ensuring infrastructure compatibility with efficient and low-impact operations.

In the energy domain, the group designs nearly-zero energy or fully autonomous buildings by integrating renewable sources, intelligent energy storage and distribution systems, sustainable drainage technologies, and strategies to mitigate noise and climate impacts. Environmental monitoring and building performance certification are integral parts of the process, aiming to promote high standards of sustainability and ecological compatibility.

Spaces are designed for intuitive and inclusive user experiences, with ergonomics, accessibility, and clear wayfinding at the core. The infrastructure is conceived as an ecosystem in which operational areas, waiting environments, staff facilities, and intermodal connections interact seamlessly, offering both users and operators an efficient and pleasant experience.

In parallel, the team supports the adoption of digital solutions for intelligent infrastructure monitoring and management, contributing to the implementation of digital twins, environmental sensors, data platforms, and U-Space/UTM systems. The designed infrastructures are prepared to accommodate electric ground vehicles, dynamically manage aprons, and integrate real-time operational and environmental data—contributing to the realization of truly sustainable, resilient, and connected air mobility.

Autonomous Systems and Smart Mobility is a research and development unit dedicated to enabling the operational deployment of autonomous technologies within intelligent mobility ecosystems. The team designs solutions that connect physical transportation with distributed cognitive capabilities, ensuring high performance in terms of efficiency, safety, and adaptability across both aerial and ground domains.

Activities include the design and integration of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) intended for logistics missions, environmental monitoring, and short-range transport. These platforms, developed to operate autonomously or in coordinated networks, incorporate advanced navigation, obstacle avoidance, and regulatory compliance systems, adapting to complex and evolving operational scenarios.

In parallel, the team develops ground-based autonomous systems with embedded intelligence, capable of navigating dynamic environments through adaptive behaviors and integration with smart infrastructure. These vehicles are designed to respond in real time to environmental stimuli, interact with other mobile agents, and adjust to changing operational conditions with a focus on cooperation and enhanced safety.

A central element of the team’s work is the development of intelligent routing algorithms and dynamic path planning systems that process real-time information — such as traffic, obstacles, weather, or infrastructure status — to optimize mobility while minimizing delays and inefficiencies. System architecture is designed to support adaptability and operational resilience, even in the face of unforeseen events.

To ensure local decision-making autonomy and responsiveness, the team implements distributed architectures based on edge computing. These allow systems to process data directly onboard vehicles, reducing dependency on continuous cloud connectivity. This approach minimizes latency, enhances reliability, and enables critical operations even in areas with limited or intermittent network access.

Multisensor data processing is another foundational pillar. Through advanced sensor fusion techniques, information from GPS, LIDAR, cameras, inertial sensors, and IoT devices is combined to create a precise, coherent, and contextualized environmental perception. This perceptive capability is essential to support autonomous decision-making, robust navigation, and behavior prediction in complex operational scenarios.

The department contributes cross-functionally to the development of distributed intelligence capabilities, platform interoperability, and the digital infrastructure that enables an integrated mobility system — one in which each node, whether physical or digital, actively participates in the evolving orchestration of movement.

Propulsion Architecture and Hybrid System Integration is a multidisciplinary team responsible for the development, validation, and integration of the hybrid-electric propulsion system of the Zephyrus One aircraft, ensuring that the adopted solutions align with the Smart Mobility Program’s goals of sustainability, efficiency, and safety. The group operates at the intersection of energy design, advanced aerodynamics, and system architecture, driving the evolution of the platform in an innovative and certifiable direction.

The team’s activities focus on the definition of the complete hybrid powertrain, combining the APU, buffer batteries, and electric motors into an integrated and optimized architecture. They oversee the layout of energy subsystems, thermal management, power flow balancing, and the interface with flight control systems, with the objective of ensuring high performance, reliability, and compliance with applicable regulations.

In parallel, the group manages the aerodynamic design of the aircraft, based on a three-surface configuration (forward canard, high main wing, and conventional tailplane). Through CFD simulations and optimization strategies, the team analyzes and validates solutions that ensure effective lift, reduced drag, and balance among efficiency, stability, and STOL capabilities. Design choices take into account structural constraints, operational requirements, and integrated energy goals.

A key focus is the functional integration of propulsion and aerodynamics. The team develops predictive models for energy consumption and mission performance, supporting real-time algorithms for intelligent power management, interaction with control surfaces, and dynamic system response. Coordination with avionics, flight control, and UX teams ensures harmonization of operational logics and interfaces.

The work continues with supervision of the testing and validation phases: ground and flight tests are conducted on propulsion subsystems, including engines, controllers, thermal management, and safety systems. The team also supports the preparation of technical documentation, risk analyses (e.g., thermal runaway), and data required for certification processes under CS-23, CS-LUAS, or authorized experimental pathways.

Additionally, the team is involved in technology scouting and evaluation, exploring emerging solutions such as solid-state batteries, hydrogen-fueled APUs, and low-emission motors, with the aim of continuously updating the platform roadmap. The strategic approach integrates innovation and sustainability, ensuring that the aircraft’s propulsion development remains aligned with the environmental, operational, and systemic objectives of the Smart Mobility Program.

Composite Materials and Lightweight Structural Design is the team responsible for developing the structural airframe of the Zephyrus One aircraft, with the goal of creating a lightweight, robust, and sustainable aviation platform capable of meeting the performance and regulatory requirements of the Smart Mobility Program. The team operates at the intersection of material innovation, production efficiency, and certifiability, leading the design and integration of primary and secondary components using advanced composites.

The structural architecture is designed following a modular and adaptive logic, strategically employing carbon fiber, glass fiber, hybrid materials, and bio-composites across the fuselage, wings, control surfaces, and internal structures. Material selection is based on criteria such as mechanical strength, fatigue life, reparability, and environmental compatibility, carefully balancing weight and cost across subsystems.

In parallel, the group develops solutions aimed at scalable production by adopting advanced technologies such as automated layup, resin infusion, thermoplastic processes, and structural modularization techniques. Integration between structural design and assembly processes includes defining functional interfaces, fastening systems, load paths, and provisions for inspection and maintenance, aligned with operational and certification requirements.

Structural validation is carried out through advanced simulations (FEM, vibration, crashworthiness, fatigue) and physical test campaigns, ranging from material coupons to subcomponents and the complete airframe. The team directly manages the planning and execution of static and dynamic tests, supporting the demonstration of regulatory compliance in accordance with CS-23, FAA Part 23, and other relevant standards.

Sustainability is a cross-cutting focus of the team’s work: recyclable or bio-based materials and low-impact processes are promoted, and Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) tools are integrated to evaluate the structural lifecycle from design to decommissioning. Special attention is paid to reparability and reuse, aligning technical choices with the environmental and operational goals of the program.

The team works in close coordination with units dedicated to aerodynamics, propulsion, and cabin design, ensuring consistency between structural layout, mechanical performance, passive safety, and integration with onboard systems. Global stiffness, mass distribution, and load absorption capacity are engineered to ensure stability, maneuverability, and reliability in all mission phases.

Through a systemic and integrated approach, the group contributes to the construction of an advanced aerospace platform capable of combining lightness, strength, efficiency, and sustainability in alignment with the future vision of intelligent air mobility.

Human-Centered and Ethically Driven System Design is the unit responsible for guiding the integration of human factors engineering, usability, and ethical responsibility principles within the technological systems developed under the Smart Mobility Program, with a particular focus on the Zephyrus One aircraft. The team ensures that every interaction between humans and technology—whether in the cockpit, on the ground, or within digital systems—is designed to be safe, intuitive, inclusive, and ethically aware.

The team’s activities center on the conception and optimization of user interfaces and human-machine interactions, applying principles of cognitive ergonomics to reduce workload, enhance situational awareness, and prevent errors in complex operational contexts. Consistency across physical and digital interfaces is maintained throughout the entire operational cycle, involving pilots, technicians, and ground operators.

A strategic focus lies in ethical risk assessment and design governance. The team integrates critical evaluations early in the system design phase, addressing issues such as technological dependency, automation bias, and user exclusion. Ethical frameworks are developed to support decisions related to AI adoption, autonomy boundaries, and algorithmic transparency. All systems are designed in compliance with European regulations on trustworthy AI, data protection, and user rights.

At the same time, inclusion is promoted as a core design principle. The team establishes accessibility criteria for both onboard and ground systems, taking into account users’ diverse physical, cognitive, and linguistic abilities. Multi-modal and adaptive solutions are implemented, including tactile feedback, high-contrast displays, alternative control modes, and multilingual interfaces, reflecting the international nature of the program.

The design process follows a participatory approach, incorporating co-design workshops and iterative testing in simulated environments or digital twins. End users—pilots, technicians, operators—are directly involved in validating operational flows, alert logics, and interaction dynamics. Evaluations are based on realistic scenarios and measure performance, perceived safety, and user satisfaction.

This unit collaborates closely with avionics, simulation, certification, and safety teams to ensure that human-centered principles are fully embedded in the technical design of subsystems. It also fosters a conscious design culture rooted in critical reflection on the cognitive and social impacts of aeronautical technologies.

Finally, the team contributes to the development of training programs, supporting content related to human-machine collaboration, applied ethics, and operational cognitive strategies, strengthening the readiness of operators in the evolving landscape of intelligent air mobility.

Systems Thinking and Immersive Learning Experiences is the team responsible for designing educational environments and training strategies that reflect the complexity, interconnection, and dynamic nature of contemporary aeronautical systems. Operating transversally within the Smart Mobility Program, the group integrates systems thinking approaches with next-generation immersive and simulation tools to foster operational awareness, adaptive thinking, and collaborative problem-solving across all involved stakeholders.

The team’s activities are grounded in the development of systems thinking frameworks applied to education. It creates learning paths that illuminate the interdependencies between technical, human, regulatory, and environmental components, using causal mapping, feedback loop logics, and dynamic simulations of system behavior under real or simulated operational conditions. The objective is to nurture holistic and anticipatory thinking capable of identifying emerging risks and supporting system evolution.

In parallel, the team designs immersive learning environments leveraging XR technologies, virtual reality (VR), and mixed reality. These platforms allow pilots, technicians, engineers, and managers to explore mission-critical scenarios, interact with aeronautical systems, and safely confront complex situations. Integration with digital twin technologies enables the dynamic simulation of actual aircraft behavior, supporting responsive, contextualized, and personalized learning experiences.

Interdisciplinary collaboration is a foundational pillar: the team works closely with the simulation, avionics, operations, and human-centered design departments to embed systems thinking principles into each training module. The programs are designed to strengthen cross-functional skills related to role coordination, organizational resilience, and adaptability within complex systems. The connection between learning, sustainability, and innovation management is also emphasized.

The team also designs evaluation tools to assess systems reasoning, multi-variable decision-making, and the transfer of competencies across contexts. Learning paths are adaptive, responding in real time to the learner’s cognitive level and engagement. Special attention is given to the development of metacognition and critical reflection as levers to enhance performance and deep system understanding.

Finally, the team fosters the creation of communities of practice, collaborative labs, and digital platforms for knowledge sharing. Through these initiatives, individual learning extends into organizational transformation, facilitating the integration of educational outcomes into policy, design, and regulatory processes. Training becomes a strategic lever for developing systemic capabilities, reinforcing the resilience of the Smart Mobility ecosystem, and advancing a consciously designed future of air mobility.

Certification & Regulatory Affairs is the unit responsible for the strategic and operational management of all activities related to the certification of the Zephyrus One aircraft and the regulatory compliance of the entire mobility ecosystem developed under the Smart Mobility Program. This team acts as the technical-regulatory interface between design, testing, operations, and aviation authorities, ensuring alignment with European and international requirements, while actively contributing to the evolution of regulatory frameworks for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM).

The unit oversees the entire aircraft certification lifecycle, including CS-23, CS-LUAS, or experimental pathways, depending on the mission profile and propulsion configuration. It defines the certification basis, negotiates the Means of Compliance (MoC), and coordinates the interface with Design Organization Approvals (DOA) and regulatory bodies, ensuring consistency across design processes, documentation, testing, and safety assessments.

In parallel, the team ensures full adherence to all applicable aviation regulations, including the EASA Basic Regulation, ICAO Annexes, and FAA equivalents. It provides strategic interpretation of complex regulatory texts, supporting the organization in managing hybrid and multi-domain air operations. Activities are closely coordinated with the safety, operations, airworthiness, and training teams to ensure integrated compliance at every level.

This unit serves as the official point of contact with ENAC, ENAV, the NSA, and other foreign authorities, managing authorization procedures, coordinating audits and inspections, handling special permits, and maintaining formal communications. It also supports regulatory harmonization efforts and bilateral agreements between jurisdictions (such as those between EASA and FAA), enabling mutual recognition of certification paths.

A critical focus area is regulatory adaptation to the emerging landscape of advanced air mobility. The team actively engages in working groups, regulatory sandboxes, and pre-commercial testing programs, contributing to the interpretation and transformation of existing frameworks to accommodate novel technologies such as distributed electric propulsion, U-space integration, and multimodal transport models.

The team also supervises the drafting and quality control of technical and regulatory documentation, including the Aircraft Flight Manual (AFM), Minimum Equipment Lists (MEL), Instructions for Continued Airworthiness (ICA), Operational Suitability Data (OSD), safety cases, and certification plans. It ensures consistent traceability of all regulatory references and MoC across technical and operational documents, supporting long-term archiving, updates, and version control in compliance with authority requirements.

Overall, this team functions as both compliance guarantor and strategic adaptation driver, contributing to the credibility, safety, and scalability of the Zephyrus One project within the rapidly evolving framework of future air mobility.

Human-Machine Interaction and User Experience (UX) Design is the team responsible for the systemic design of interfaces and interaction logics between human operators and digital or autonomous systems within the Smart Mobility Program. Operating across all platforms—with a particular focus on the Zephyrus One aircraft—the team ensures a coherent, accessible, and cognitively sustainable user experience in all operational contexts: cockpit, maintenance, remote control, and training environments.

Activities include the design of cockpit interfaces tailored to the efficiency needs of regional aviation and the specific requirements of hybrid propulsion, through the development of primary displays, multifunction panels, and simplified interaction logics. The adopted solutions guarantee maximum visibility, accessibility, and seamless operation across manual, assisted, and autonomous modes, supporting situational awareness and dynamic mission management.

The team develops interfaces adapted to various operational phases—pre-flight, in-flight, post-flight—and for different user profiles, including pilots and maintenance technicians. Using task analysis, usability testing, and iterative prototyping, systems are tailored to users’ real needs. Mobile apps, operational dashboards, and diagnostic tools are designed to provide immediate, contextual access to onboard and mission data.

A specific focus is placed on managing cognitive load and supporting decision-making. The team develops alerting logics, adaptive systems, and interfaces that assist operators in complex scenarios, reducing the risk of overload and promoting smooth, reliable interaction. Strategies are implemented for managing automation limits, calibrating trust in systems, and enabling fallback procedures in human-in-the-loop configurations.

In the training domain, the group collaborates closely with simulation teams to ensure coherence between real systems and training environments. It designs interactive components for XR simulators, remote tools, and procedural platforms, ensuring that experiential learning translates effectively into operational performance. Cognitive continuity between training and real-world application is treated as a core design requirement.

Finally, the team addresses human interaction with UAS systems, designing control station interfaces capable of managing both single units and multi-agent fleets. Innovative interaction modes—voice, gesture, HUD—are explored to enable safe and supervised operations even in highly automated scenarios. The developed models support flexible and scalable collaboration between humans and intelligent machines in the emerging context of autonomous air mobility.

Through an interdisciplinary, human-centered approach, the team helps define new standards of interaction for intelligent aeronautical systems, making technology accessible, understandable, and trustworthy for every operator involved.

Sustainability and Impact Lab is the unit responsible for embedding environmental, energy, and social sustainability into the Smart Mobility Program, guiding the evolution of the Zephyrus One aircraft and its operational infrastructure according to principles of positive impact, responsible innovation, and systemic resilience. The team ensures that every design, technical, and strategic decision is aimed at reducing negative impacts, optimizing resource efficiency, and generating shared value for the regions and communities involved.

Activities include conducting environmental assessments across the entire lifecycle of the aircraft, from raw material sourcing to end-of-life management. Through the application of Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodologies, the team defines strategies for emission reduction, material footprint optimization, and waste minimization. The design approach incorporates circular economy principles, promoting the use of sustainable materials, low-impact manufacturing processes, and reuse and recycling strategies for components.

In parallel, the team oversees the integration of efficient energy solutions in collaboration with the propulsion engineering and infrastructure systems groups. The adoption of renewable energy sources—such as solar power, hydrogen, or synthetic fuels—is encouraged for recharging, refueling, and ground operations. Their work also extends to the design of microgrids, intelligent infrastructure, and digital systems for real-time energy and emission monitoring.

Special attention is paid to material selection, favoring bio-based composites, non-toxic resins, and environmentally friendly components. The team evaluates traceability, ethics, and sustainability across the entire supply chain, ensuring compliance with international responsible sourcing standards. Assessments also cover material durability, reparability, and end-of-life management, contributing to reduced impacts throughout the aircraft’s operational cycle.

On the social level, the lab incorporates dimensions of inclusion and territorial cohesion into project planning. It promotes mobility models that reduce access inequalities, enhance local contexts, and strengthen the sustainability of regional services. The team actively engages with communities, public institutions, and territorial stakeholders to ensure that technological development translates into tangible benefits for both people and the environment.

Performance monitoring is supported by the definition of KPIs and specific indicators for environmental and social impact. The team contributes to compliance with the EU Taxonomy, ESG criteria, and international reporting standards, positioning the Smart Mobility Program as a model for climate innovation and sustainable transformation in the aeronautical sector.

Through an integrated vision and interdisciplinary approach, the Sustainability and Impact Lab plays a vital role in ensuring that Lizard’s innovation is not only technologically advanced but also deeply ethical, equitable, and committed to the common good.

Educational Systems and Learning Technologies is the team responsible for designing and managing the learning environments that support the development of technical, cognitive, and operational competencies within the Smart Mobility Program. The team integrates advanced educational technologies, systems-based approaches, and human-centered methods to create effective, adaptive, and interdisciplinary training experiences for pilots, engineers, technicians, and system operators.

Activities include the design of distributed simulation ecosystems across multiple levels: full-scale simulators, desktop stations, web-based environments, and cloud-based learning infrastructures. These training architectures are developed to support multi-site scenarios and enable real-time remote collaboration. Each program is integrated into formal training curricula and aligned with competency-based learning principles and the operational goals of the program.

A strategic focus of the team is the development of educational digital twins, enabling users to interact in real-time with virtual models of the aircraft, onboard systems, and mission profiles. These tools allow for the simulation of complex dynamic conditions and the exploration of interdependencies between subsystems, decision-making strategies, and real-world operational contexts. Digital twins are employed in both guided and self-directed learning pathways.

The team also leads the implementation of immersive learning environments using virtual, augmented, and mixed reality (XR) technologies. These systems simulate cockpit operations, emergency procedures, and maintenance tasks in safe and highly realistic contexts. The use of sensory feedback and motion tracking enhances embodied learning and engagement, facilitating the transfer of competencies to real-world applications.

To comprehensively assess learner proficiency, the team develops evaluation tools that integrate technical, cognitive, and relational indicators. Training programs include measurement of situational awareness, cognitive flexibility, and role-based cooperation capabilities. Teaching strategies are adaptive and personalized, tailored to the individual learner’s profile and progression within the learning journey.

Another key area of development involves holistic training models that complement technical education with emotional intelligence, ethical reflection, and the ability to solve complex problems in interdisciplinary environments. The team collaborates closely with human-machine interaction, user experience, and complex systems design teams to ensure conceptual and functional coherence across all learning platforms.

By integrating immersive technologies, advanced evaluation tools, and cutting-edge pedagogical methodologies, the team contributes to building a robust, flexible, and future-ready training ecosystem — aligned with the emerging needs of sustainable air mobility and next-generation aviation operations.

Digital Systems Architecture & Integration is the team responsible for designing and managing the digital infrastructure of the Smart Mobility program, with its operational base in Estonia. The group ensures the coherent, secure, and scalable integration of IT systems that support the operation of the Zephyrus One aircraft and its associated mobility services, acting as a technological bridge between aviation, ground mobility, smart infrastructures, and European aerospace ecosystems.

The team’s core activities include the definition and maintenance of the overarching digital architecture that enables the program’s key operational functions, such as mission planning, fleet management, remote diagnostics, and technical-logistical coordination. SaaS management systems (e.g., dispatch, maintenance, crew scheduling) are integrated with cloud infrastructures and onboard embedded systems, ensuring seamless continuity between mobile devices, web applications, and avionics architectures.

Special attention is dedicated to the interoperability between onboard systems and terrestrial mobility networks. The team coordinates data exchange between mission control, ground transport systems, and smart urban nodes, developing shared APIs and protocols to facilitate the integration of the Zephyrus One aircraft with external services (last-mile transport, intermodal hubs, electric shuttles). The architecture is designed to synchronize digitized flight operations with ground routing logic.

Communication and data handling are secured through the implementation of encrypted protocols (e.g., avionics buses, protected telemetry, edge computing), ensuring compliance with cybersecurity, GDPR data protection, and aeronautical information security regulations. The operational network leverages 5G infrastructure and distributed nodes to minimize latency and enhance system resilience.

The team is also actively involved in aligning with U-space infrastructures and drone traffic management (UTM) systems, ensuring technical interoperability with European airspace digitalization initiatives and participating in innovation and standardization bodies in the smart mobility sector.

Furthermore, predictive monitoring and maintenance strategies are developed, employing real-time metrics and alert systems to ensure digital systems’ reliability. The architecture is designed to be modular and scalable, ready to support fleet expansion, replication in new regional contexts, and integration with other transport models, while remaining robust in the face of technological and regulatory evolution.

With a distributed, interoperable, and resilient approach, the team plays a crucial role in establishing the digital backbone of the Smart Mobility program, enabling seamless integration across aviation platforms, ground systems, and intelligent urban environments.

Advanced Prototyping & Testbed Engineering is the team responsible for the design, development, and validation of the physical and digital prototypes that support the technical and operational evolution of the Zephyrus One aircraft. Acting as a technical hub between design, experimentation, and simulation, the group ensures that each system or subsystem is tested against structural, functional, and aerodynamic criteria through laboratory campaigns, runway trials, and virtual environments.

The team defines the integrated prototyping strategy, leading the creation of mockups, demonstrators, and full-scale prototypes of the aircraft and its key systems. It oversees the functional verification of components such as hybrid propulsion, avionics, batteries, and onboard systems, using test benches and controlled environments. Validation is conducted in close collaboration with the design and integration teams, ensuring full compatibility between hardware, software, and embedded architectures.

A core focus area involves materials testing and cabin development. Mechanical tests, durability analyses, and regulatory compliance checks are conducted on composite materials and lightweight structures. In parallel, cabin interiors are prototyped and validated in terms of ergonomics, accessibility, and integration with interface and safety systems, to ensure comfort and functionality in real-world contexts.

The team plans and coordinates structural and aerodynamic validation campaigns, including static, fatigue, vibration, and impact tests on the airframe and control surfaces. Aerodynamic assessments are carried out via wind tunnel testing and CFD correlation, providing critical data for configuration optimization. Continuous dialogue with the materials and structures teams ensures an iterative and informed design evolution.

The unit also develops testbed environments to simulate realistic operational conditions: runway trials include taxiing, braking, actuator calibration, and propulsion evaluations. Collected data is integrated with simulation models and digital twins for coherent and traceable validation aligned with certification goals.

Through virtual testing and the use of high-fidelity digital twins, the team anticipates critical scenarios, simulates variable environmental conditions, and identifies design vulnerabilities, contributing to risk mitigation and continuous improvement of the project. The generated data supports certification activities by providing traceable evidence from both physical and digital tests, ensuring the technical robustness and safety of the system.

Operating in close synergy with digital, engineering, and regulatory teams, the Advanced Prototyping & Testbed Engineering group serves as a strategic enabler of technology readiness and a key bridge toward the real-world deployment of the Zephyrus One aircraft.

Ground Infrastructure & Vertiport Systems is the team responsible for the design and implementation of the physical infrastructure and ground support systems enabling the daily operations of the Zephyrus One aircraft and other aerial vehicles employed in smart mobility services. Operating at an international level, the group ensures that modular airfields, vertiports, and multimodal hubs are safe, scalable, and integrated within next-generation energy, logistics, and urban systems.

Key activities include the engineering design of vertiports and modular runways tailored to urban, suburban, or remote environments. These infrastructures are conceived to support take-off and landing operations for hybrid and electric aircraft, with a focus on flexibility, rapid deployment, and performance compatibility. The layout is developed to meet high operational safety standards and ensure the smooth management of both aerial and ground activities.

The team also oversees the development of charging infrastructure for hybrid-electric propulsion, designing battery swap systems, energy storage stations, and refueling solutions suitable for decentralized settings. Maintenance and inspection areas are integrated into efficient and sustainable operational workflows, in coordination with energy and digital systems teams to ensure compatibility with smart grids, microgrids, and renewable energy sources.

Regarding ground logistics, the team defines procedures, flows, and safety systems for the movement of aircraft, cargo, and passengers. Each infrastructure includes assisted guidance systems, safety zones, FOD (Foreign Object Debris) control, emergency routes, and automation solutions. All components are designed in compliance with ICAO Annex 14, EASA standards, and emerging national regulations for advanced air mobility.

A strategic focus area is the multimodal integration with ground transportation systems. The team develops functional interfaces between vertiports and intelligent urban networks, including electric shuttles, rail systems, micromobility services, and logistics hubs. It works in synergy with local authorities and urban planners to promote infrastructural integration and landscape coherence, fostering inclusive and community-centered solutions.

Environmental sustainability is a core principle of the design approach. The team adopts eco-friendly materials, green construction solutions, and environmental monitoring systems for each facility. All projects are developed in accordance with existing regulations and requirements for obtaining operational authorizations and vertiport certifications. The group actively participates in international standardization forums and public-private partnerships in the urban and regional air mobility sector.

Through an integrated and multidisciplinary approach, the team helps lay the operational and infrastructural foundations for an ecosystem of intelligent, safe, connected, and truly sustainable air mobility.