Uber Has Eyes On The Skies in Paris

In Paris, Uber has its eyes on the skies while keeping its ideas fixed to the ground. It has more than a fantasy of flying taxis, it wants to make these plans a reality in the future. To prove it, it’s been publishing concept designs for its future flying taxis and airport. All with the money put behind it to take it from paper to the people.

Paris has earned renown for its approach towards dreaming, building and living big. It stands to reason then, that the company will give it major consideration for its new Elevate project. It’s been announced this week that Paris will, in fact, be the home for a new research and development hub.

Uber to Elevate themselves above the competition

The company is committed to this so much that it’s not only building a technology centre in Paris. But it’s pooling a major amount of funding into the project, a $20 million budget for its back-end development. This level of funding will be used to develop the software, air traffic control systems and AI algorithms.

These systems will all be streamlined with the support and 5-year partnership with École Polytechnique, the prestigious Parisian engineering school. In a statement made by Uber’s CEO, Dara Krosrowshahi, the excitement is easily seen:

“Building the future of our cities will require the best and brightest minds working together. With world-class engineers and a leading role in global aviation, France is the perfect place to advance our Uber Elevate program and new technology initiatives. We’re excited to partner with École Polytechnique to shape the future of urban mobility, on the ground and in the air.”

The prospect of a hyper-futuristic Skyport being the port of call for a daily commute is exciting in itself. But with Uber’s eyes clearly on the skies, the prospects for air travel are clearly gaining headwind.