• 11 Oct 2024

October 10, 2024 - Research, training, and technology transfer are the cornerstones for the development of the professional drone market. The opportunities for companies in this field are abundant, thanks to PNRR funds, which all manufacturing companies investing in innovation can access.

This is the key takeaway from the data presented by MADE - Competence Center for Industry 4.0, a technology transfer center managing part of the Next Generation EU funds through the PNRR, as illustrated during the second day of Dronitaly, the leading event for professional civilian drones organized by BolognaFiere Water&Energy (BFWE), taking place until tomorrow, October 11, 2024, in Bologna (www.dronitaly.it).

As of today, MADE – highlighted by Filippo Boschi, Head of Innovation, Industrial Research, and Experimental Development Projects – has activated more than 250 innovation projects between 2020 and 2024, from various manufacturing companies (69% of which involved SMEs). Most of these projects were focused on simulation and digital twin (12%), AI (9%), and production process optimization.

At present, MADE still has around 9 million euros in funding (out of the 350 million euros allocated by the Government) to be allocated to companies undertaking digital innovation, available from November 2024 until the end of the PNRR (2026). MADE expects to activate a further 75 innovation projects, meaning that companies in the drone sector could also benefit.

MADE's data gives hope for the future. To date, companies in the drone sector have received very little public funding. As Paola Olivares, Director of the Drone and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory at Politecnico di Milano, pointed out, 77% of Italian companies in the sector invest in research and development. However, most of the drone companies surveyed by the Observatory have relied on internal resources, with only 16% utilizing public funds.

In general, the Observatory Director concluded, Italy's commitment to these themes is very strong. Analyzing a sample of about 80 EU calls for UAS technology, Italy coordinates 11% of the calls, second only to Spain, which holds 23% of the assigned calls.

Research and Application Fields

During the day, discussions focused on research and the many potential application fields, such as the highway sector. A sector where having trained and qualified personnel is essential to ensure the efficiency and safety of the road network.

"For a highway concessionaire, the presence of qualified personnel in the use of drones represents a strategic value in optimizing inspections of bridges and viaducts, allowing for more precise and timely monitoring, even in hard-to-reach areas. The use of drones, integrated with artificial intelligence, also enables advanced traffic management, acquiring real-time data and facilitating predictive analysis for proactive maintenance and increased safety of the entire road network. This approach innovates infrastructural control, ensuring operational efficiency and responsiveness" said Carlo Costa, Technical Director General of A22 Autostrada del Brennero.

But the application fields are numerous, with important players joining forces to work on new projects. An example is Poste Italiane and Leonardo, who presented the "Minor Islands Pilot Service" project. The project began testing this summer, with the goal of establishing a daily cargo transport system using drones capable of carrying loads of up to 40 kilograms.

The initiative is part of the research and innovation program of the National Center for Sustainable Mobility (MOST). Promoted by Poste Italiane and Leonardo, it is funded by the Ministry of University and Research (MUR) with PNRR funds. The ongoing experiment involves the use of cargo drones provided and remotely piloted by FlyingBasket, which take off from Bagnoli and land with their cargo on the island of Procida. 

Leonardo's Drone Contest 2024: An Ecosystem of Business, Research, and Training

Also focusing on research and training, the afternoon saw the awarding of the winner of Leonardo's Drone Contest (October 10). Tomorrow, a special event with the participation of the seven universities involved in the contest is scheduled (October 11).

Now in its fifth edition, Leonardo's Drone Contest, conceived and developed in collaboration with seven prestigious Italian universities, is a project designed to promote innovation in artificial intelligence applied to unmanned systems. The primary goal is to foster the creation of an innovation ecosystem, bringing together large companies, universities, SMEs, spin-offs, and start-ups.

Leonardo is the Event Partner of the event. Platinum Sponsors: Bluenest, EHang, eVertisky, and Polis Consulting. Gold Sponsors: Abzero, Aiviewgroup, d-flight, Rina, Smartko and Solapave.

Dronitaly is taking place alongside the Fueling Tomorrow exhibition (focusing on fuel transformation and the use of new energy carriers in the transport and industrial sectors in the context of the ecological transition), SAIE (relating to the construction sector), and Asphaltica (dedicated to the road construction sector). All events involve an audience potentially interested in the use of remotely piloted vehicles for their activities.

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BFWE is a joint venture founded in 2021 by BolognaFiere and Mirumir, with the goal of developing a business project that contributes to the knowledge and sharing of issues related to the economic and social value of water, energy, and new technological applications. The events managed by BFWE are:

ACCADUEO: International exhibition, for over 30 years a reference in the water sector at national and international levels (https://www.accadueo.com). Held in Bari during even years and in Bologna during odd years;

Fueling Tomorrow: An exhibition dedicated to fuel transformation and the use of new energy carriers in the transport and industrial sectors (https://www.fuelingtomorrow.it);

Dronitaly: An event dedicated to the professional civilian drone sector (https://www.dronitaly.it).

For further information 

BFWE Press Office: Elena Veronelli // ufficiostampa@mirumir.it // https://www.bfwe.it/

Accompanying images: https://www.bfwe.it/mirumir/download/downloader.php?id=543