Time.news – By 2030 drones will become part of European life. From emergency services, mapping, imaging, inspection and surveillance within the applicable legal frameworks by civilian drones, to the urgent delivery of small shipments, such as biological samples or medicines, to innovative air mobility services, such as air taxiswhich provide regular transport services for passengers, initially with a pilot on board, but with the ultimate goal of fully automating operations.
It is the European strategy for drones 2.0 presented by the European Commissionwhich aims to establish how Europe can pursue large-scale commercial drone operations, while also offering opportunities in the sector.
According to the Commission, “to unleash the market potential of EU drones and services it is necessary to identify critical technology blocks, such as artificial intelligence, robotics, semiconductors, space services and EU mobile telecommunications. This will help the EU build an innovative and competitive drone sector, reducing strategic dependencies.”
The strategy also identifies areas of synergy between civilian and defense drones as well as increased capabilities to combat drones and system resilience. The Commission will now start work on the strategy’s 19 operational, technical and financial actions “to create the right regulatory and business environment for tomorrow’s airspace and drone market”.
Actions include adoption of common airworthiness standards and new training requirements for pilots of remote and eVtol aircraft (manned electric vertical take-off and landing); funding the creation of an online platform to support local stakeholders and industry in implementing innovative and sustainable air mobility; the development of a Strategic Drone Technology Roadmap to identify priority areas for research and innovation, to reduce existing strategic dependencies and prevent new ones from arising; defining criteria for a voluntary label for cybersecurity-approved drones.
“This work will pave the way for large-scale commercial operations and will ensure that Europe takes advantage of synergies between the civilian, security and military use of drones and related technologies, including counter drone solutions,” the EU Commission pointed out.