Challenge
In operational areas of air traffic control, rare, critical, or time-sensitive exceptional situations may occur. In such cases, employees must be able to access relevant procedures, safety information, and decision-making criteria within the shortest possible time.
Currently, support in these situations relies heavily on existing documentation, experience, routine, and human coordination. However, training for such rare events is only possible to a limited extent. At the same time, relevant information is often scattered across multiple systems, manuals, and knowledge sources.
The current situation means that employees must process large amounts of information under significant time pressure. Cognitive load increases, decision-making becomes more difficult, and valuable time is lost searching for relevant information.
For this reason Austro Control is seeking innovative solutions for an intelligent, trustworthy AI agent that supports employees in exceptional and critical situations. The solution should recognize the specific context, consolidate relevant information from existing knowledge sources, prioritize it, and present it in an understandable way.
Automating the decision-making process is not the primary focus. Responsibility for decisions must remain with humans. The goal is to find an assistive solution that provides guidance, speeds up information gathering, and improves the ability to act in critical situations.
Question
Desired result
Austro Control aims to improve safety, efficiency, and the ability to respond in exceptional operational situations sustainably.
The ideal solution recognizes the specific operational context, considers the role of the person making the inquiry, and provides relevant information, procedures, and decision-making tools within the shortest possible time. Information should no longer have to be manually compiled from various sources but should be available in a way that is context-specific, traceable, and clearly organized.
The solution should:
• be able to access existing documentation and knowledge databases,
• use only verified information,
• avoid hallucinations or transparently flag uncertainties,
• prioritize relevant information,
• take into account past incidents and empirical knowledge,
• provide transparent recommendations,
• support humans in the decision-making process, but never replace them,
• be suitable for safety-critical environments.
Expected improvements include:
• faster response times,
• reduced cognitive load,
• more consistent processes,
• greater transparency and traceability,
• increased safety in critical situations.
Non-Goals:
• autonomous decisions made by AI,
• automated operational interventions,
• fully automated emergency management,
• recommendations that cannot be verified (“black box”).
Call for submissions
Take this opportunity to showcase your innovative approaches. Austro Control is looking for companies or collaboration partners that offer solutions for a secure, context-aware AI agent in critical operational environments.
Key factors to consider in your submission:
• Describe how your solution is suitable for safety-critical environments and what added value your approach would provide.
• How will your solution support data protection, compliance, and the “human-in-the-loop” principle?
• Describe your solution’s ability to integrate with existing IT and knowledge management systems, as well as the feasibility of your approach.
• Show us your experience in safety-critical areas, comparable projects, and relevant references.
Description:
Submit your idea using the online form by 16 Sept 2026. Describe your technical solution, your overall approach, ongoing support, and any training measures. Make sure your concept aligns with the requirements. Make a strong case with clear use cases and references.
Summary of Added Value:
Summarize the key benefits! What makes your solution particularly innovative? What sets it apart?
Examples of use, references, and a realistic project timeline will help with the evaluation.
Confidential Information:
This information can be submitted confidentially via the platform.
In this text field, you can enter additional information that you wish to share only with the project managers. Alternatively, you can email a PDF to the challenge moderators.
Optionally, you may also attach a file. This file should supplement the text in the form fields, but not replace or repeat it! Use the file attachment, for example, for graphics.
IMPORTANT NOTE:
Submissions as part of a consortium are permitted. Keep your presentation brief (as a guideline: a maximum of 10–12 presentation slides or 4–5 A4 pages). We are currently in the market exploration phase of this challenge. Therefore it is not necessary to prepare designs or feasibility studies specifically for this event.
Benefits of the challenge and further project development
This challenge provides Austro Control with an overview of potential solutions and partners.
For companies, this means that by participating in the challenge, you’ll come to the attention of the public contracting authority. Your submission will remain visible even after the challenge concludes, serving as your calling card for other interested parties. You’ll position yourself for future public sector procurement projects.
This fosters awareness and understanding of suitable innovations on the part of the public contracting authority. This is important so that, following the market exploration, the public contracting authority can consider innovative approaches in any future procurement project in accordance with the Federal Procurement Act.
Note from the Sponsor Regarding Public Procurement Law:
It is hereby noted that Austro Control, as a public contracting authority, is subject to the Federal Public Procurement Act. This market sounding expressly does not constitute a procurement process within the meaning of the Federal Public Procurement Act (BVergG) in its current version but is intended—as a form of public market sounding—solely as a preliminary step toward future procurement in accordance with any applicable internal procurement guidelines and the BVergG.
Participation in this process does not create a legal entitlement to participate in further award/procurement processes!
Depending on the results, the further project plan foresees the following:
As part of this market research, Austro Control would like to explore new solutions so that it can incorporate innovative approaches into future projects.
Do you have the right solution?
Then submit!
Questions about the challenge
Solutions already submitted
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