What Global UTM Association does

The Global UTM Association (GUTMA) is a non-profit consortium founded on June 27, 2016, and headquartered at EPFL Innovation Park in Lausanne, Switzerland, with a secondary Swiss office in Zurich. Its mission is to foster the safe, secure, and efficient integration of unmanned aircraft into national airspace systems by coordinating global Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) stakeholders. As of 2019 the organization represented over 70 organizations across more than 25 countries, and current membership spans 20 countries and seven activity segments: air navigation service providers, infrastructure and data providers, UAS manufacturers, UAS operators, UTM service providers, regulatory bodies, and research institutes.

GUTMA's core offerings are not commercial products but a portfolio of publications, regulatory frameworks, and convening programs. These include the annual Harmonized Skies conference series (with regional editions such as the European U-Space Summit, US UTM Conference, and APAC UTM Summit); the UTM Ecosystems' Readiness Index Report co-developed with PwC, which benchmarks national UTM readiness across six dimensions; the UTM Architecture global framework; the Operator-to-USP Service Level Agreement Template and USS Data Sharing and Governance Agreement Template, which standardize inter-provider operations; and position papers addressing FAA BVLOS rulemaking and EU U-Space implementation. Members participate through Task Forces — typically 30-member working groups led by industry or regulator partners such as Swiss FOCA, ANRA Technologies, and Wing — that produce these frameworks. Strategic partnerships with ASTM International, EUROCAE, GSMA (via the Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity), PwC, and the EU Drone Leaders' Group extend the consortium's policy influence.

GUTMA operates as a membership-funded association (recurring membership fees from organizations across the UTM ecosystem) supplemented by event registration revenue (e.g., $150 per ticket for Harmonized Skies, with complimentary access for Civil Aviation Authority representatives). Distribution is direct: organizations apply via a membership request portal and gain access to Task Forces, members-only publications, and conferences. The organization is governed by a Board of Directors elected by members and led day-to-day by Secretary General Koen De Vos (appointed April 2021) and Co-President Sebastian Babiarz (Dronehub, appointed July 2021). GUTMA is privately held, with no venture capital or private equity investment and no disclosed revenue.

Name

Global UTM Association

Legal name

Global UTM Association

Website

https://gutma.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2016

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

11–50 employees

Short description

The Global UTM Association (GUTMA) is a non-profit consortium, founded 2016 and headquartered in Lausanne, Switzerland, that coordinates worldwide Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) stakeholders across 20+ countries through membership-funded Task Forces, standards frameworks, position papers, and the annual Harmonized Skies conference.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Product category

Aviation Industry Consortium / UTM Standards Coordination

NAICS

Professional Organizations (81392), Business Associations (813910)

SIC

Services-Membership Organizations (8600), Search, Detection, Navagation, Guidance, Aeronautical Sys (3812)

akta.pro primary industry

UAS Ground Control Stations (GCS) & Remote Operations Infrastructure (IMABAIAL)

Keywords

• UTM standards development
• Drone airspace management
• Aviation consortium
• U-space implementation
• Drone regulatory frameworks

Headquarters

HQ city

Lausanne

HQ country

Switzerland

HQ region

Europe

Offices2 records

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Marketing or Sales, Technology or R&D

Revenue model

1. Membership Fees: GUTMA operates as a non-profit consortium funded through membership fees from organizations across the UTM ecosystem including air navigation service providers, infrastructure providers, UAS manufacturers, operators, UTM service providers, and regulatory bodies.
2. Event Registrations: Revenue generated from conference registrations such as Harmonized Skies events. Standard tickets at $150 per person, with complimentary access provided to Civil Aviation Authority and regulator representatives.

Pricing tiers

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels4 records

Marketing channels6 records

Core offering

GUTMA is a non-profit consortium that coordinates worldwide Unmanned Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) stakeholders through publications, standardized templates, annual conferences, task forces, and policy advocacy. It sells organizational memberships and event registrations, and produces framework documents (such as SLA templates, data-sharing agreements, and readiness benchmarking reports) that its members and the public use to align UTM services, regulatory positions, and cross-border drone operations.

Product overview

The Global UTM Association (GUTMA) is a non-profit consortium of worldwide Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Traffic Management (UTM) stakeholders. Rather than a single product, GUTMA offers a portfolio of publications, frameworks, event programs, and working group initiatives. The core offerings include: the annual Harmonized Skies Conference series as the flagship event; the UTM Ecosystems' Readiness Index Report providing global benchmarking analysis; template documents including the Operator to USP Service Level Agreement Template and USS Data Sharing and Governance Agreement Template for standardizing UTM operations; position papers on regulatory matters including FAA BVLOS Rulemaking and EU U-Space Implementation; a Task Forces Program enabling members to address specific UTM challenges; a Global CAA Network for regulatory collaboration; and a Regional Ambassadors Program for regional representation. These offerings work together to foster safe, secure, and efficient integration of drones into airspace systems through standards development, policy advocacy, and industry coordination.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Harmonized Skies Annual Conference Annual flagship high-level conference series bringing together key industry and policy stakeholders from the UTM and drone services ecosystem. Standard tickets priced at $150 per person with complimentary access for CAA and regulator representatives. Includes regional editions such as U-Space Summit, US UTM Conference, and APAC UTM Summit.
• UTM Ecosystems' Readiness Index Report Annual global benchmarking report analyzing UTM ecosystem readiness levels at national scale across six dimensions: Legislation, Governance, Strategy, Operations, Technology, and Business and market. Developed in collaboration with PwC and publicly available for download.
• Operator to USP Service Level Agreement Template Globally applicable SLA template defining roles and responsibilities between drone operators and UTM service providers. Outlines key service expectations enabling reliable third-party services for safe, efficient BVLOS operations across borders.
• USS Data Sharing and Governance Agreement Template Master agreement template for exchange of data between UAS Service Suppliers (USS), laying the foundation for seamless cooperation among USSPs worldwide. Developed under the leadership of Swiss FOCA.
• Recommendations to Accelerate U-Space Implementation in the EU Strategic position document produced by the EU Coordination Task Force listing priorities and technical, operational, and procedural requirements to accelerate U-space implementation in the European Union. Includes governance and coordination suggestions for European Commission and EASA.
• FAA BVLOS Rulemaking Position Paper Position paper analyzing FAA's proposed BVLOS rulemaking (Part 108 and Part 146) with focus on regulatory and technical interoperability. Emphasizes leveraging existing standards and avoiding US-only requirements for global harmonization.
• ASTM Standards Mapping (F3411-22a and F3548-21) Mapping of ASTM standards F3411-22a and F3548-21 to U-space regulation, demonstrating alignment of Network identification service, UAS flight authorisation service, and Conformance monitoring service with USSP interoperability requirements.
• Global UTM Architecture Framework Global UTM Architecture document establishing foundational framework for UTM implementation and interoperability, available as a publicly downloadable PDF.
• USSPs' Safety Support Assessment Assessment document led by the GUTMA Safety Task Force that standardizes the process by which USSPs engage with authorities on safety assessments.
• Secure and Resilient UTM Task Force Report Task force report addressing cybersecurity and resilience considerations for UTM systems and operations.
• GUTMA Organizational Membership Organizational membership program providing access to GUTMA Task Forces, exclusive market insights and technical publications, participation in standards development, and participation in the global UTM community.

Quantifiable outcome

• GUTMA's recommendations on ASTM standards mapping were officially accepted by ASTM Focus Group, directly influencing U-space regulation standards
• +1 more outcomes

Named customers10 records

Segments6 records

Ideal customer profiles4 records

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Feature3 records

Partnerships

Seven partnerships are on record, tiered core and major.

• EU Drone Leaders' GroupcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 18 October 2021GUTMA was invited to join the EU Drone Leaders' Group established by the Directorate General of Transport of the European Commission. The group assists in preparing the 'Drone Strategy 2.0 for a smart and sustainable unmanned aircraft eco-system in Europe' and gathers regulators, institutional personalities, and industries. GUTMA Co-President Sebastian Babiarz represents the association in the group.
• EUROCAEmajorStrategic or Co-development Partner · 4 December 2020GUTMA and EUROCAE signed a collaboration agreement in December 2020 to support one another in creating greater contribution to standards development for UTM. The partnership aims to enhance coordination between the organizations in support of unmanned aircraft systems traffic management stakeholders.
• ASTM InternationalcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 27 November 2019GUTMA and ASTM International signed an MOU in November 2019 to help air traffic managers leverage standards for drone integration. The partnership enhances understanding of international standards, grows knowledge and participation in standards development, and helps meet technical needs by offering access to ASTM International standards. GUTMA members gain direct participation in ASTM technical committees.
• GSMA (Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerGUTMA and GSMA collaborate through the Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity (ACJA) program to advance cellular connectivity for UAS operations. The partnership has produced whitepapers including 'Landscape Whitepaper on UAS Cellular Ecosystem' and 'Interface for Data Exchange between MNOs and the UAS Ecosystem', and a Reference Method for assessing Cellular C2 Link Performance and RF Environment Characterization.
• ASTM International (Harmonized Skies 2026)majorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGUTMA's flagship event Harmonized Skies 2026 will be held in collaboration with ASTM in Tokyo, Japan on October 5-6, 2026. This collaboration underscores the ongoing relationship between GUTMA and ASTM in advancing UTM standards and industry events.
• Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA)coreStrategic or Co-development PartnerFOCA leads the USS Data Sharing Agreement Task Force and has been instrumental in GUTMA's standards development. FOCA's Amanda Boekholt led the Task Force that delivered the data sharing and governance agreement template.
• PwCmajorStrategic or Co-development PartnerGUTMA collaborated with PwC to develop the global benchmarking methodology for the UTM Ecosystems' Readiness Index Report 2024, consisting of six dimensions: Legislation, Governance, Strategy, Operations, Technology, and Business and market.

Scale indicators6 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• AUVSI (Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International): Largest US-based membership organization for the unmanned systems industry, covering UAS policy, standards advocacy, and events (XPONENTIAL). Comparable to GUTMA as a membership consortium advancing the UAS ecosystem, though with broader industry remit and stronger US policy focus.
• CANSO (Civil Air Navigation Services Organisation): Global membership body for air navigation service providers. Highly comparable to GUTMA's ANSP member base as CANSO convenes the same providers on ATM integration topics, including UTM adoption by traditional ANSPs.
• EUROCAE: European standards organization for aviation that develops technical standards for UTM, ATM, and UAS. A formal GUTMA partner since 2020 but also a direct peer producing overlapping standards and serving similar aviation stakeholders.
• JARUS (Joint Authorities for Rulemaking on Unmanned Systems): International group of civil aviation authorities focused specifically on rulemaking for UAS operations. Highly comparable to GUTMA as both convene regulators and industry to harmonize UTM/U-space rules, with overlapping stakeholder bases including EASA and national CAAs.
• ASTM International: Global standards body whose F3411 and F3548 standards underpin UTM interoperability. Comparable to GUTMA as both publish standards consumed by the same UAS/UTM ecosystem and co-develop frameworks for cross-border drone operations.

Emerging players

• Commercial Drone Alliance: US-based industry coalition advocating for commercial drone policy and integration. Comparable to GUTMA as both serve as industry voices in regulatory advocacy, though Commercial Drone Alliance is US-focused and narrower in constituency.
• Drone Industry Insights: Drone market research and intelligence firm producing reports and analysis for the UAS industry. Comparable to GUTMA's UTM Readiness Index publication as both produce research consumed by UTM ecosystem participants, though Drone Industry Insights is commercial and broader in scope.

Broad incumbents

• GSMA: Global mobile industry organization running the Aerial Connectivity Joint Activity with GUTMA. Comparable as a membership consortium convening ecosystem stakeholders (mobile network operators) around UAS cellular connectivity, an adjacent but overlapping community.
• RTCA: US-based aviation standards organization that develops minimum operational performance standards for UAS and UTM. Comparable to GUTMA in producing consensus-based technical standards, though primarily US-focused and broader in scope across all aviation.
• ICAO (International Civil Aviation Organization): UN specialized agency setting international aviation standards including for UAS and UTM. Comparable to GUTMA as the ultimate regulatory body whose frameworks GUTMA seeks to influence and align with for global interoperability.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat4 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/gutma_org

Compliance1 record

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about Global UTM Association