In September, the HAPS Alliance held a special academic workshop to launch a new initiative aimed at fostering open dialogue between academic and industry members. The goal was to ensure opportunities for collaborative innovation in HAPS technologies are fully realized. The potential applications of HAPS are vast, ranging from earth observation and defense to disaster recovery and extending telecom access to remote areas.
Board members and working group leaders attended the event, eager to engage with academic participants, learn about their work and talk about collaborative opportunities. Their shared enthusiasm underscores the commitment to advancing these cutting-edge technologies together.
HAPS Alliance President Ken Riordan commented, “The main goal of this workshop is to ensure that there’s good alignment between what the universities are working on and what industry is seeking to achieve. Our academic presenters all made excellent points, and I look forward to further collaboration.”
The HAPS Alliance leadership heard from academics from Carleton University, Liverpool Hope University, University of Applied Sciences and Arts Northwestern Switzerland, and King Abdullah University of Science and Technology.
An Exciting Window of Opportunity for HAPS
During the workshop, the group discussed how HAPS is gaining traction, with the coming years seen as critical for its development. To support this, the World Radiocommunication Conference (WRC) needs to broaden the frequency range for high altitude base stations (HIBS) beyond the current 2 GHz to include 700–900 MHz, 1.8 GHz, and 2.6 GHz. Rather than viewing satellites as alternatives to HAPS, a combined space and near-space architecture is often more effective, with HAPS filling gaps in satellite coverage, especially in urban areas.
Collaborating for the Benefit of All
The workshop highlighted the growing synergy between academic research and industry needs, positioning the HAPS Alliance for cutting-edge advancements. By strengthening these partnerships, the Alliance is set to push the boundaries of HAPS technologies, shaping a future of expanded connectivity and new capabilities.Join the HAPS Alliance to gain the research, resources, and support needed to thrive in the dynamic world of stratospheric telecommunications. All companies interested in the HAPS ecosystem are encouraged to become HAPS Alliance members. Alliance membership levels, Principal, General, and Supporter, are open to organizations in any industry sector. Principal and General members have the opportunity to become involved in various membership initiatives, including working groups, member-only meetings, and collaboration with other HAPS Alliance members to work on technology components and use cases for enabling a smarter world.