CRIDA (Centro de Referencia de Investigación, Desarrollo e Innovación ATM, A.I.E.) is a not-for-profit Research Entity established by ENAIRE (the Spanish ATM and Airport Services provider), the Polytechnic University of Madrid "Universidad Politécnica de Madrid – UPM” and INECO. CRIDA was created on the 27th of February of 2008.

CRIDA is strongly focused on performing R&D+I. Is partners and shareholders (ENAIRE, INECO and UPM) are tasked with the commercial exploitation of CRIDA’s results. This dichotomy allows CRIDA to focus on the pursuit of knowledge whilst maintaining a strong connection with the real world problems.

CRIDA‘s mission is to improve the efficiency and performance of the Spanish Air Traffic Management (ATM) system through the development of ideas and projects that provide quantifiable solutions based on system performance indicators, considering the Spanish system as an integral part of a global networked system. To achieve this goal CRIDA must analyse quantitative and systematically the benefits from the system, diagnose problems and identify their causes, propose and design innovative solution alternatives, identify and validate the best alternatives, and collaborate actively in the process of implementation of the selected solution. The analysis of the system is done in direct collaboration with ENAIRE (Spanish Air Navigation Service Provider), as its main partner, contributing to ENAIRE’s mission of providing air navigation services safely, efficiently and with the adequate levels of quality respect for the environment.

CRIDA has identified as a research priority the performance of ATM system monitoring, diagnosis and causal analysis. This is done through the quantification of performance indicators obtained from the ATM system. CRIDA investigates, develops and puts at the disposal of its partners innovative analysis techniques which enable the storage, access, processing and integration of multiple information sources on a massive scale. This leads to the systematic and automatic generation of performance indicators based on both historical and forecast data using the highest level of granularity possible. This information is the basis on which the ATM system causal model is built.

The course of action followed by CRIDA in this area is based on a comprehensive strategic approach, as opposed to the performance of isolated, specific analysis studies. Analysis is performed within a continuous and systematic framework that identifies trends and patterns of behaviour, analyses cross-influences and temporal evolution of the indicators.

The pyramidal and automated approach to the treatment of information is the tool chosen as the basis for causal analysis (asides from theoretical models). Since disaggregated data is available, it may be feasible to trace the causes of individual events and infer from them both the behaviour and the control points of the system. It must be noted that the availability of causal models has a strong impact on the predictability of the ATM system which is an essential efficiency factor.

CRIDA’s strategy is to develop first the disaggregated data, aggregating only the data which is consider useful by the air navigation service providers. This ensures that useful results will be available from the beginning.

The activities performed by CRIDA in this area are part of the PERSEO Programme. PERSEO (Platform for Analysis of the Network Effects of Sectorisation in Operation) is a web application providing both historic and real time operational information service for airports and sectors in the Spanish airspace. The tool is in use within ENAIRE’s Air Navigation intranet. PERSEO includes statistical reports and permits cross-analysis of scheduled information and real information. PERSEO is conceived as a tool for the systematic analysis of the system enabling the identification and prediction whilst providing standardized access to air navigation operational information. PERSEO is developed and maintained by CRIDA; ENAIRE’s CNS/ATM Simulation Division is tasked with its deployment.

The second strategic line of R&D in CRIDA consists in the study and validation of R&D+i solutions assessing their operational impact and quantifying the economic benefits derived from either or both the ATM system’s performance improvements and/or the cost reduction associated with its implementation. To do this, CRIDA researches and develops innovative validation techniques and methodologies to respond to the needs of its partners.

This strategic line ensures that the evaluation of new solutions is based on the same principles and methods as the system performance measurements to facilitate comparative analyses. It also offers the possibility of carrying out evaluations at both conceptual (based on the conceptual definition of the solution and without the need for any development) as pre-industrialization (based on prototypes) levels. Most of the activities performed in this area are included in the SESAR Programme.

In summary, CRIDA provides the following skills and expertise:

• SESAR concept and ATM concept experts, in particular experience in the operational procedures for the integration of RPAS in non-segregated airspace.
• Operational concepts verification and validation.
• Human factors and performance indicators experts.
• Software engineers, expertise in the development of performance assessment support tools and integration of multiple sources of ATM information through data warehouse and big data technologies.