Smart and Secure Airports: Strengthening Cyber and Drone Resilience

Unmanned aircraft activity is becoming an increasingly important consideration for airports and critical digital infrastructure. This event is organised in collaboration with Dutch Drone Delta, the national public-private ecosystem for drone and advanced air mobility innovation in the Netherlands. Dutch Drone Delta brings together government bodies, airports, knowledge institutes and industry partners to enable safe, scalable and socially responsible drone operations.

The discussion will focus on the role of digital system providers, particularly those capable of fusing sensor and radar data into actionable intelligence, to enhance situational awareness and coordinated response.

Key themes include:

• Managing and mitigating drone intrusion in controlled airspace
• Integrating drone and sensor data into ATM and airport operations
• Building cyber resilience across aviation and other critical infrastructure sectors
• Bridging civil and defense perspectives on dual-use technologies

Programme 10 March 2026

13:00 – 13:10  Welcome

13:10 – 13:15  Introduction

13:15 – 13:35  Keynote Speaker Niels Kalshoven -Innovation Lead Autonomous & Unmanned Systems at Port of Rotterdam

13:35 – 13:55 Keynote Speaker  Willem-Jan Derks – Business Development Manager at Robin Radar Systems

13:55 – 14:15  Keynote Speaker Adrian Young – Senior Aviation Consultant at To70

14:15 – 14:30  Break

14:30 – 14:50  Keynote speaker Erik van Brunschot – Director Strategy Defence & Intel at NLR

14:50 – 14:55  Panel Discussion & Q&A – moderated by Lennard Verhoeff NLR and DDD

14:55 – 15:00  Closing Remarks – Summary of key insights and next steps for collaboration.

15:00 – 16:00  Networking Drinks

About the speakers

Speaker 1 

Niels Kalshoven – Port of Rotterdam
Innovation Lead Autonomous & Unmanned Systems – Port of Rotterdam

In the Port of Rotterdam, extensive efforts are underway to integrate autonomous and unmanned systems within a complex and high-traffic environment. At the same time, the risks associated with non-cooperative drones are increasing. From the perspective of an end user, Niels Kalshoven shares the challenges port authorities face: how do you balance innovation and safety? What detection and response capabilities are required? How do you integrate low-altitude airspace operations while safeguarding activities within the port area? And where do concrete needs remain for technology providers and concept developers?

Speaker 2

Willem-Jan Derks – Robin Radar Systems
Business Development Manager – Robin Radar Systems

Detection is an essential building block in managing unwanted drone activity. Willem-Jan Derks provides insight into detection technologies, their capabilities and limitations, and how they can be effectively embedded in operational concepts. How do you ensure that detection actually leads to actionable response?

Speaker 3

Adrian Young – To70
Senior Aviation Consultant – To70

Detection is only one step — but how do you organise the operational and legal follow-up? From the perspective of aviation safety and regulation, Adrian Young explains how drone detection can be integrated civilly and operationally into existing structures. This includes analysing how non-cooperative drones have been used based on recent experiences, understanding different modus operandi, and how these can be addressed operationally. The session also explores the link between fixed installations (such as radar systems) and mobile detection solutions, connecting enforcement roles across airports, police and municipalities.

Speaker 4

Erik van Brunschot – NLR
Director Strategy Defence & Intel – NLR

From a defence perspective, countering unwanted drones is part of broader command and control structures. Erik van Brunschot shares insights on prevention, coordination and cross-domain collaboration, and highlights lessons learned from defence that are relevant for civil practice — for example, differences between military and civil approaches and how disruptions are managed.

Moderator

Lennard Verfhoeff
Business Manager Aerospace Operations at NLR and Chair of Dutch Drone Delta

Representing NLR and Dutch Drone Delta, Lennard Verhoeff combines aerospace expertise and ecosystem leadership to guide today’s discussions as moderator.

By combining NAG’s security expertise with Dutch Drone Delta’s ecosystem approach, this event offers a unique platform for knowledge exchange, collaboration and concrete next steps.

The event will take place on 10 March from 13:00 to 15:00 at RAI Amsterdam, organised alongside Intertraffic. Participation is free of charge and registration also provides complimentary access to Intertraffic on the day of the event.

* This event is organised by NAG in collaboration with Dutch Drone Delta made possible by a top sector HTSM TKI grant.

Register

Smart and Secure Airports: Strengthening Cyber and Drone Resilience

*Please note that registration is mandatory