Blog field notes

Blog

Field notes.

R&D insights, industry analysis, and writing from the team — organized by topic, not by date. Pick a subject below or scroll through the archive.

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Why ESA + EDA Jointly Funded an SME: The AUDROS Story
017 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Why ESA + EDA Jointly Funded an SME: The AUDROS Story

AUDROS was the first project in history where the European Space Agency and the European Defence Agency jointly funded a small business. Here's how it happened.

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Prison Anti-Smuggling Drones: The C-UAS That Pays Back Fast
028 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Prison Anti-Smuggling Drones: The C-UAS That Pays Back Fast

Drone-borne contraband is now a primary prison smuggling vector. Net-capture C-UAS is the only modality that preserves the evidence — and the procurement ROI compounds quickly.

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CBRN Drone Response: Inside the 98/100 EDA Validation
038 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

CBRN Drone Response: Inside the 98/100 EDA Validation

Chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear drone threats — kinetic fragments the plume, jamming misses autonomous. The EDA 98/100 validation explained.

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Inside Eagle One: Net-Capture C-UAS Engagement Physics
048 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Inside Eagle One: Net-Capture C-UAS Engagement Physics

How net-capture interceptors actually work — engagement geometry, net deployment, parachute drogue ballistics, intact-recovery economics.

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Counter-UAS in 2026: When to Jam, Shoot, or Capture
059 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Counter-UAS in 2026: When to Jam, Shoot, or Capture

Counter-UAS has three modalities — jamming, kinetic, capture. Each has a different legal envelope. A 2026 buyer's guide for defense and infrastructure operators.

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Dronehub × Tytrax ITWL: Defense Drone-in-a-Box Unveiled at MSPO 2021
064 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Dronehub × Tytrax ITWL: Defense Drone-in-a-Box Unveiled at MSPO 2021

Joint defense system built with the Polish Air Force Institute of Technology — Tytrax drone + Dronehub docking station + AI-driven autonomy. Unveiled at MSPO Kielce 2021. The early Polish defense partnership behind the counter-UAS work.

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Autonomous AI Rail Inspection — The Architecture
0111 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Autonomous AI Rail Inspection — The Architecture

A grounded look at why autonomous drone-in-a-box infrastructure plus AI analytics fits rail track inspection, and where Dronehub's IP-and-partnership model applies — anchored by the announced Deutsche Bahn anomaly-detection engagement.

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Energy Grid + AI Inspection: Same Stack, Different Anomalies
028 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Energy Grid + AI Inspection: Same Stack, Different Anomalies

Halo Cloud re-points from rail to energy grid by changing the per-asset taxonomy — the architecture stays. Transmission, substations, conductors at scale.

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Why Railway Operators Are Abandoning Calendar Inspection
039 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Why Railway Operators Are Abandoning Calendar Inspection

Calendar-based inspection is the legacy model. Condition-based monitoring is the replacement — driven by cost, safety, regulator pressure, and workforce-capacity reality.

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Per-Fastener Defect Detection: From Spec to 95%+ Accuracy
049 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Per-Fastener Defect Detection: From Spec to 95%+ Accuracy

The 95%+ per-fastener defect detection number at Deutsche Bahn scale. What it measures, how it was achieved, and where the next gains come from.

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Inside Halo Cloud: The In-House AI Inspection Stack
059 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Inside Halo Cloud: The In-House AI Inspection Stack

Halo Cloud is Dronehub's in-house AI anomaly-detection platform. Edge first-pass on Jetson, cloud-side specialisation, sovereign data path by design.

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AI Rail Inspection at Scale: Lessons From Deutsche Bahn
068 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

AI Rail Inspection at Scale: Lessons From Deutsche Bahn

What Germany's 33,000-km Deutsche Bahn network taught us about AI rail inspection — accuracy, latency, sovereignty, and the operator handoff.

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PKN Orlen Refinery Inspection: A Named Reference for Hazardous-Site Drone Ops
074 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

PKN Orlen Refinery Inspection: A Named Reference for Hazardous-Site Drone Ops

Eastern Europe's largest refinery operator deployed Dronehub's autonomous inspection across critical-infrastructure assets. The use case that proves drone-in-a-box scales from rail to volatile chemical plants — same Halo Cloud stack, different anomaly taxonomy.

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Drone-in-a-Box Buyer's Guide 2026: NDAA, Battery Swap, AI Stack
085 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Drone-in-a-Box Buyer's Guide 2026: NDAA, Battery Swap, AI Stack

Picking a drone-in-a-box vendor in 2026 isn't a feature comparison — it's a supply-chain and compliance decision. Six evaluation criteria that filter the real options for industrial, federal, and defense buyers.

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How the IBM Partnership Shaped the Halo Cloud AI Inspection Stack
095 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

How the IBM Partnership Shaped the Halo Cloud AI Inspection Stack

Dronehub became an IBM Solution Partner in 2021 — the only drone company in Europe at the time. The partnership shaped the architecture of Halo Cloud, the in-house AI anomaly-detection stack that now runs Deutsche Bahn's national-scale rail inspection.

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Summary of 2021 at Dronehub – part 2
Newsroom4 MIN·JAN 10, 2022

Summary of 2021 at Dronehub – part 2

In the previous post (check it here) we have shared with you the most important projects and integrations we had worked on in 2021.

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Autonomous drones extend monitoring and aerial inspection workflows.
Newsroom1 MIN·AUG 31, 2020

Autonomous drones extend monitoring and aerial inspection workflows.

Monitoring of environmental areas is a demanding task that requires long periods of observation and large numbers of specified equipment.

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Drone-in-a-Box for FOBs: Persistent Air Cover, Deployable Footprint
017 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Drone-in-a-Box for FOBs: Persistent Air Cover, Deployable Footprint

Forward operating bases need persistent overhead ISR and counter-UAS without the helicopter footprint. Drone-in-a-box delivers both at deployable-infrastructure scale.

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Galileo OS-NMA on UAVs: What HUUVER Proved About Sovereign Nav
027 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Galileo OS-NMA on UAVs: What HUUVER Proved About Sovereign Nav

Cryptographically authenticated positioning defeats GPS spoofing by design. HUUVER was the first UAV in the world to integrate full Galileo OS-NMA — here's what it means.

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Edge + Cloud Inference for Drone-in-a-Box: The Split That Scales
038 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Edge + Cloud Inference for Drone-in-a-Box: The Split That Scales

Bandwidth-thin operations, sub-15-minute latency, sovereign data path — the edge-first architecture is what makes drone-in-a-box deployment work at infrastructure scale.

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Drone-in-a-Box for Ports: Perimeter, Condition, C-UAS
047 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Drone-in-a-Box for Ports: Perimeter, Condition, C-UAS

Ports need three drone capabilities — perimeter, asset condition, counter-UAS. One drone-in-a-box infrastructure covers all three.

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The Battery-Swap Gap: 2 Minutes vs 40 in Drone-in-a-Box
058 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

The Battery-Swap Gap: 2 Minutes vs 40 in Drone-in-a-Box

Robotic battery swap cycles in 2 minutes. In-station charging cycles in 40-60. Why one delivers 20-25 missions per day and the other delivers 4-5.

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An innovative property security system based on drone technology is coming
Newsroom2 MIN·MAR 25, 2021

An innovative property security system based on drone technology is coming

In partnership with a provider of telecommunication solutions related to security, Dronehub will create an innovative monitoring and security system based on breach detectors that trigger an…

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Dronehub – ground based power source for drone operations.
Newsroom2 MIN·AUG 31, 2020

Dronehub – ground based power source for drone operations.

One of the biggest benefits of drones they provide is a new and unquestioned level of visibility, data acquisition, and more precision.

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EIC Accelerator for Drone Tech: Grant + Equity Pathway
019 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

EIC Accelerator for Drone Tech: Grant + Equity Pathway

The European Innovation Council Accelerator combines €2.5M grant with up to €10M equity for deep-tech SMEs. How drone companies fit the application profile.

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AFWERX Open Topics: How SMEs Win US Air Force Funding
028 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

AFWERX Open Topics: How SMEs Win US Air Force Funding

AFWERX Open Topics is the largest single SBIR/STTR pipeline for SMEs targeting US Air Force innovation. Application structure, what wins, and the Phase III pathway.

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Horizon Europe Cluster 4 vs Cluster 5: Which Fits Your Tech?
038 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Horizon Europe Cluster 4 vs Cluster 5: Which Fits Your Tech?

Horizon Europe's Cluster 4 (Digital, Industry, Space) and Cluster 5 (Climate, Energy, Mobility) both fund drone tech. How to decide which one fits your application.

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NATO DIANA: The Dual-Use Accelerator Pipeline Explained
048 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

NATO DIANA: The Dual-Use Accelerator Pipeline Explained

NATO DIANA is the alliance's dual-use deep-tech accelerator. Cohort structure, funding, what wins, and how drone SMEs fit the application profile in 2026.

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European Defence Fund 2026: How C-UAS Calls Actually Work
058 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

European Defence Fund 2026: How C-UAS Calls Actually Work

What EDF 2026 c-UAS calls cover, how consortia form, what eligibility looks like, and where the application timeline puts SMEs and primes in 2026.

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SBIR/STTR for Non-US Drone Companies: The Entity Path
069 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

SBIR/STTR for Non-US Drone Companies: The Entity Path

How non-US drone companies qualify for SBIR/STTR — entity structure, ownership tests, founder residency, and the real operational path.

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How Nomad Won the $1.72M Polish R&D Grant for Mobile Drone Infrastructure
075 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

How UAV Nomad Won the $1.72M Polish R&D Grant for Mobile Drone Infrastructure

The Polish federal R&D Centre awarded Dronehub a $1.72M programme grant to build the world's first autonomous drone-in-a-box that operates while moving — what later became the UAV Nomad platform powering convoy ops and mobile defense.

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Flying First Across 13 EU Partners: Inside U-Space4UAM
085 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Flying First Across 13 EU Partners: Inside U-Space4UAM

The EU's flagship urban-air-mobility programme: 13 partners, 5 countries, Honeywell-led. Dronehub flew first across the entire consortium — and the empirical data fed straight into EU U-space regulation.

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It’s official: Dronehub with $ 500k and operational support for US expansion from the GeniusNY program
Newsroom2 MIN·NOV 9, 2022

It’s official: Dronehub with $ 500k and operational support for US expansion from the GeniusNY program

Let us remind you that in the 6th cohort of the program, there are 5 winning companies and each received 500,000 USD: Dronehub (Poland), Archangel Imaging (Great…

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Dronehub among five winners of the world’s largest business accelerator!
Newsroom3 MIN·SEP 15, 2022

Dronehub among five winners of the world’s largest business accelerator!

Two months ago we were happy to announce (here) that we went through the next selection rounds in the world’s largest business accelerator competition.

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Another milestone achieved while working on the Uspace4UAM project
Newsroom3 MIN·SEP 12, 2022

Another milestone achieved while working on the Uspace4UAM project

Remember the Uspace4UAM project, which ultimately will create an effective system for the use of drones in the urban area of the EU?

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Dronehub among 14 semi-finalists announced in GENIUS NY accelerator
Newsroom1 MIN·JUL 4, 2022

Dronehub among 14 semi-finalists announced in GENIUS NY accelerator

Dronehub is among global top 14 companies, which are developing innovations in the uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), internet of things (IoT) and robotics industries.

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Dronehub among top European air companies to create the Urban Air Mobility in the European airspace
Newsroom3 MIN·APR 8, 2021

Dronehub among top European air companies to create the Urban Air Mobility in the European airspace

The Uspace4UAM consortium – which includes Dronehub – was selected to demonstrate Urban Air Technologies in 4 European countries to enable the safe integration of Urban Air…

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Dronehub autonomous drones in a box solution received 2M PLN in late-seed funding
Newsroom2 MIN·DEC 9, 2020

Dronehub autonomous drones in a box solution received 2M PLN in late-seed funding

Dronehub autonomous drones in a box solution received 2M PLN in late-seed funding Dronehub has raised 2M PLN in pre-seed funding, allowing it to scale its autonomous…

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A 2026 map of selected Polish drone companies. Blue markers: UAV manufacturers and integrators. Orange markers: technology and infrastructure. Dronehub is mapped under technology and infrastructure, in Jasionka.
014 MIN·Updated · JUN 2026

Poland's Drone Industry, Mapped: Aircraft, and the Infrastructure They Run On

A recent map of Poland's drone sector splits the field into two categories — UAV manufacturers, and the technology and infrastructure providers beneath them. Dronehub is mapped in the second. That distinction is not incidental; it is the strategy.

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Where Dronehub Fits in the $12.64B US AI Drone Market by 2033
029 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Where Dronehub Fits in the $12.64B US AI Drone Market by 2033

A March 2026 Research and Markets report names nine companies as US AI drone market leaders. Eight build drones or platforms. One builds the infrastructure those drones run on. A positioning analysis of the market layer the report doesn't name.

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Reading the 2026 Drone Market: Where the Money Actually Flows
039 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Reading the 2026 Drone Market: Where the Money Actually Flows

Sovereign-supply consolidation, dual-use capital, federal-innovation pipelines, M&A pattern. The structural map of where 2026 drone-industry capital actually goes.

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Sovereign Supply Chain in Drones: Not Optional in 2026
048 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Sovereign Supply Chain in Drones: Not Optional in 2026

Post-2022, post-EDIS, post-NDAA 848 expansion — the sovereign supply chain question moved from optional to default. The 2026 procurement reality.

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Joining GUTMA: Why the Co-Presidency of Drone-Traffic Standards Matters
054 MIN·Updated · MAY 2026

Joining GUTMA: Why the Co-Presidency of Drone-Traffic Standards Matters

Co-founder Sebastian Babiarz was elected Co-President of the Global UTM Association — the body that writes the unmanned-traffic-management standards every commercial drone fleet will operate under. A seat at the table where the rules get made.

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photo-credits: GeniusNY
Newsroom2 MIN·MAY 15, 2023

Over 600 guests visited the Dronehub stand during the Denver convention

In addition to the presentation of Dronehub products at the stand, our representatives on-site – Vadym Melnyk and Vicky Umanska – held a series of meetings with…

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DII: Almost USD 5 bn of investments in the drone industry in 2022
Newsroom2 MIN·MAR 15, 2023

DII: Almost USD 5 bn of investments in the drone industry in 2022

Mainly due to the war in Ukraine, the global investments in the drone industry were lower than in 2021, but still the total amount of investments reached…

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Summary of 2022 at Dronehub
Newsroom3 MIN·JAN 11, 2023

Summary of 2022 at Dronehub

We can definitely say that 2022 was a breakthrough year for our company.

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Students today, Europe leaders tomorrow – Dronehub CEO with a speech at the EEC in Katowice
Newsroom3 MIN·APR 28, 2022

Students today, Europe leaders tomorrow – Dronehub CEO with a speech at the EEC in Katowice

European Economic Congress (EEC) in Katowice, Poland, is the largest business and political forum in Central Europe.

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Creative industry and creative aviation at Dubai Expo – Dronehub fits in with global trends
Newsroom2 MIN·MAR 28, 2022

Creative industry and creative aviation at Dubai Expo – Dronehub fits in with global trends

For half a year, Dubai was the capital of the world.

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Amsterdam Drone Week 2022 – Dronehub engaged in a global discussion on the future of UAM
Newsroom2 MIN·APR 4, 2022

Amsterdam Drone Week 2022 – Dronehub engaged in a global discussion on the future of UAM

It was with great excitement that we looked forward to the next edition of one of the biggest industry events – Amsterdam Drone Week.

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Summary of 2021 at Dronehub – part 1
Newsroom4 MIN·JAN 10, 2022

Summary of 2021 at Dronehub – part 1

What a year it was! We recall the most important events and activities of our company in 2021.

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The drone industry speaks louder and louder – Dronehub CEO gave a speech during the 13th European Economic Congress.
Newsroom4 MIN·SEP 24, 2021

The drone industry speaks louder and louder – Dronehub CEO gave a speech during the 13th European Economic Congress.

The scale of our company’s development and innovative approach to business goes far beyond the drone sector.

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More forecasts showing the power of the drones sector – the market will reach USD 41.4 bn by 2026
Newsroom2 MIN·AUG 13, 2021

More forecasts showing the power of the drones sector – the market will reach USD 41.4 bn by 2026

Drones industry will be growing at the pace of 9,4% y/y which means that drones are on their way to becoming a USD 41,4 billion industry by…

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Drone industry doubled the investment value in 2020 to USD 2.3 bn – Drone II report
Newsroom2 MIN·JUN 4, 2021

Drone industry doubled the investment value in 2020 to USD 2.3 bn – Drone II report

Investment into the drone industry in 2020 grasped USD 2,3 bn and doubled the result from the record-high 2019 (USD 1,3 bn).

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Dronehub shines at the Polish National Stand at Kyiv Aviasvit Exhibition 2021
Newsroom2 MIN·JUN 18, 2021

Dronehub shines at the Polish National Stand at Kyiv Aviasvit Exhibition 2021

International Aviation and Space Salon “Aviasvit – XXI” – the largest aviation industry fair in Ukraine.

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EASA: 83% of UE citizens have a positive initial attitude towards UAM
Newsroom3 MIN·MAY 21, 2021

EASA: 83% of UE citizens have a positive initial attitude towards UAM

The newest EASA report reads that the overwhelming majority of UE citizens have a positive approach to Urban Air Mobility (UAM).

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Sebastian Babiarz joins and strengthens the Dronehub team
Newsroom4 MIN·APR 28, 2021

Sebastian Babiarz joins and strengthens the Dronehub team

Recent months have been a time of wide expansion of Dronehub’s structures – after the successful recruitment process at the beginning of the year, after the opening…

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We are relocating and aiming really high – new Warsaw office, here we go.
Newsroom2 MIN·FEB 16, 2021

We are relocating and aiming really high – new Warsaw office, here we go.

We are changing our Warsaw address. Along with the fast development of our company and higher and higher flights of our UAVs, we had decided to relocate.

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as the Golden Age for Dronehub, here’s why.
Newsroom3 MIN·JAN 25, 2021

as the Golden Age for Dronehub, here’s why.

In many ways, 2020 was a challenging year for all of us. New extensions, new employees, new partnerships, and events in which we have participated.

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Amsterdam Drone Week Hybrid 2020 – Covid accelerated development of the drone industry.
Newsroom3 MIN·DEC 11, 2020

Amsterdam Drone Week Hybrid 2020 – Covid accelerated development of the drone industry.

Amsterdam Drone Week is the epicenter of the global UAV industry. This year we have the pleasure to participate in this event and showcase our Dronehub solution.

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How drones are changing the industries? Analyzing the drone market during Global Drone Conference.
Newsroom14 MIN·SEP 28, 2020

How drones are changing the industries? Analyzing the drone market during Global Drone Conference.

The drone industry is going to see significant changes in the upcoming years.

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