ResilienX has been named a founding member of M-air, a public-private research partnership launched by Mcity at the University of Michigan to accelerate the development of commercial activities operating below 3,000 feet.
This low-altitude economy encompasses rapidly growing sectors such as drone delivery, urban air mobility, agricultural services, and beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. As a founding member, ResilienX will provide M-air with the open data integration capabilities required to translate aviation research into operational reality. The company’s vendor-neutral AAM OptiX platform and FRAIHMWORK in-time aviation safety management system have become foundational components of digital airspace programs across the country, supporting NASA, the Federal Aviation Administration, the United States Air Force, and a growing list of state and commercial operators.
“M-air is positioned to become one of the most important proving grounds for the low-altitude economy in the United States, and we are honored to help shape it from day one,” said Andrew Carter, CEO of ResilienX. “Realizing the potential of drones and advanced air mobility depends on more than great aircraft. It depends on the digital infrastructure that lets disparate systems share data safely, on the safety case that makes scaled operations defensible to regulators, and on the operational evidence that turns research into routine flight. That is the layer we deliver, and it is the layer M-air’s members and partners can now build on.”
These technical contributions complement M-air’s expanding research capabilities, physical testbeds, and a planned BVLOS flight corridor running between the university’s Ann Arbor and Dearborn campuses and Michigan Central in Detroit. By integrating these data exchange and safety assurance tools into the research environment, member organizations gain a single integration path for connecting radar, uncrewed traffic management, weather, command and control, and surveillance providers, which generates audit-ready logs and regulatory-aligned evidence during flight operations.
ResilienX joins eight additional new members in the latest cohort investing in the advancement of autonomous technologies.
“This new group of companies, government agencies and nonprofit organizations are investing a combination of cash and in-kind services to join Mcity to advance the state-of-the-art for autonomous vehicles and drones,” said Greg McGuire, Managing Director of Mcity.
The initiative also includes an expanded collaboration between M-air and the Applied Research Institute of Bloomington, Indiana. This broadens the partnership’s reach into FAA-aligned drone research, electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) certification, and low-altitude operational predictability.
“Our strategic alliance with Indiana’s UAS capabilities catalyzes M-air’s leadership, transforming bold research into validated real-world applications that serve as the backbone for the emerging low altitude economy,” said Venkat Viswanathan, director of M-air and associate professor of Aerospace Engineering at the University of Michigan.
The open data integration capabilities provided by ResilienX directly support this vision by giving the multi-state ecosystem a common technical foundation. This partnership also expands ResilienX’s existing footprint in the region, following its late 2025 selection by Battle Creek Unlimited to build the digital infrastructure for MICH-AIR, a planned BVLOS operational area centered around Battle Creek Executive Airport. Together, the two programs position the company as a connective layer across Michigan’s emerging air mobility corridor, bridging academic research with commercial flight operations.
“The convergence of Michigan’s automotive manufacturing depth with its aerospace ambition is exactly the kind of environment where the low-altitude economy will be built,” Carter added. “We are committed to making sure the digital and safety infrastructure scales alongside it.”
