Future drone aviation debated at International Drone Show
Hundreds of visitors from across the world gathered at the International Drone Show in Odense yesterday to showcase technologies, meet new partners and track latest drone developments. The biggest event of its kind in Northern Europe, the event sparked key conversations about challenges and opportunities for drone deployment.
how can we deploy drone technologies in the future
With more than 40 influential speakers across five panel debates and conference tracks, including big names within drone delivery and high-profile speakers from Danish defence, the event addressed top-of-mind questions such as: How are drones used in today’s modern conflict situations? And how can drones be used for protection of critical infrastructure?
“The International Drone Show 2024 has advanced conversations about how we can deploy drone technologies in many more settings than we do today,” says Søren Elmer Kristensen, CEO of Odense Robotics, which arranges the annual event at HCA Airport together with UAS Denmark Test Center.
“Many different stakeholders are needed to collaborate to enable unmanned aircraft to share airspace in a way that is safe and sustainable. This event is about showcasing the strong potential of drones – and building partnerships across the ecosystem. We’re privileged to have such a strong drone community in Denmark and leading drone test facilities, so we are pleased to have brought so many drone stakeholders together here once again.”
Conference highlights
The opening keynote from Drone Industry Insights tracked trends in the drone market, highlighting new figures showing that drone companies in the Nordic countries are more optimistic than the global average with a score of 7.1 compared to 6.6.
Defence was a key topic, with high-profile speakers from Danish defence and academia exploring the role of unmanned vehicles on the battlefield, the use of commercial off-the-shelf products in a military context, complying with NATO standards and the future of armed conflict.
Danish drone companies showed keen interest in workshops with the Danish Ministry of Defence Acquisition and Logistics Organisation on drone procurement.
“Best-practice use cases from the U.S., Europe and the Artic highlighted how drones can be adopted as a resource-effective tool for infrastructure inspection, drone delivery, disaster management, environmental monitoring and healthcare logistics. A key takeaway was the indispensable role of public-private partnerships in propelling the sUAS/AAM industry forward,”
Drone legislation and operational safety was also a pivotal theme. Danish drone companies showed considerable interest in updates from the Danish Civil Aviation Authority on Denmark’s upcoming drone strategy, while several other talks highlighted ways to overcome challenges in airspace integration and flight testing.
see drones before investing
Live flight demos and an exhibition provided valuable insights. Nordic Wing showcased their latest Astero ISR 2.5 and their Raptor system; UMS Skeldar showcased their V-200 platform supporting tactical operations for surveillance, emergency response, security and defence; and Drone Volt also conducted a demo flight of their LineDrone.
“Seeing drones and software in action before you invest provides valuable insights into system capabilities. That’s why the International Drone Show enables visitors to see and compare solutions in live outdoor flights. Leading vendors demonstrated a wide range of drone applications and drone experts were on hand to field questions from the audience,”
UAS Denmark Test Center, offers BVLOS flights, a C-UAS centre, R&D facilities, a business park and 1,900 square kilometre airspace over land and sea.
This year’s media partners were Unmanned Systems Technology and eVTOL Insights.
About the International Drone Show
The International Drone Show is Northern Europe’s largest drone industry event and takes place annually at HCA Airport near Odense, Denmark. The event includes a conference, expo, live demo flights and networking sessions. It is organised by Odense Robotics, Denmark’s national cluster for robotics and drones, and UAS Denmark International Test Center, an internationally renowned test centre for drone technology. For more information: www.internationaldroneshow.dk.
Further information
Rasmus Torpegaard Festersen
Investment manager - Robotics & drones
My drive is to help foreign companies in the robotics, drone, tech and automation industry to establish in Odense and connect them to relevant business partners and opportunities in the City of Odense. My background is within business, sports and leadership in tech – and my knowledge and network are there to help you.
+45 2492 0903
rasfe@odense.dk
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Anders Boe-Hansen
Special Consultant - Offshore & Campus
I draw on cross-sectorial experience from dealing both with public sector and private commercial interests on the global maritime scene. In relation to Port of Odense and green growth and transition, I assist companies with connecting collaborating, and creating under the most optimal conditions. I additionally manage and coordinate the development and area transition of Campus Odense - aiming for Campus to become a world-leading hub for citizens, companies, and higher education.
+45 2037 2319
aboh@odense.dk
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