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TRANSCRIPT
Inea Consulting is a well established renewable energy advisory firm focused to emerging markets of Eastern Europe, CIS countries and MENA countries. Through its service Renewable Market WatchTM, the company provides independent renewable and commercial UAV sectors overview, customized analysis, market outlooks and sector studies. What makes us different is the quality and accuracy of information, which is interpreted in the best way to take your investment decisions. You may find relevant information our latest issued superior analysis Global Commercial and Civil UAV Market Report 2015 – 2025 here: http://renewablemarketwatch.com/country-reports
Flyver SDK enables millions of Android developers to write apps for drones... as easy as they would for a smartphone.
http://flyver.co/Drone apps platform
Tools to developMarketplace to publishPlatform to monetize
INEA CONSULTING LTD: GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET GUIDE 2014 - 2015
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TABLE OF CONTENTS
FOREWORD ..................................................................................................................... 4
1. METHODOLOGY ..................................................................................................... 5
1.1. Methodology .............................................................................................................. 5
1.2. Limitations .................................................................................................................. 6
2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY ........................................................................................... 7
3. WHAT IS UAV ......................................................................................................... 9
4. AVIATION REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR USE OF COMMERICAL AND CIVIL UAV 10
4.1. Global Legal and Regulatory Framework ................................................................. 10
4.2. European Legal and Regulatory Framework ............................................................ 11
5. GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET ................................................... 12
5.1. Market overview ...................................................................................................... 12
5.2. Future development trends ..................................................................................... 13
6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE ................................................................................... 16
6.1. Manufacturers and equipment suppliers of commercial and civil UAVs ................ 16
6.2. Software developers for commercial and civil UAVs industry ................................. 17
7. CONCLUSIONS ..................................................................................................... 18
8. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS ...................................................................................... 21
9. REFERENCES ........................................................................................................ 22
10. DISCLAIMER ......................................................................................................... 22
LIST OF MAPS, CHARTS AND TABLES
Table 1: Classification of UAVs .................................................................................................. 9
Chart 1: Global spending on commercial and civil UAVs 2007 – 2013 (in million €) .............. 12
Chart 2: Regional breakdown of the global commercial and civil UAV market in 2013 ........ 12
Chart 3: Forecast of global spending on commercial and civil UAVs 2013 – 2015 (in million €) ................................................................................................................................................. 14
Chart 4: SWOT analysis of the global commercial and civil UAV market ............................... 14
© 2014, Inea Consulting Ltd., Manufactured in the UK; All rights reserved. Last edited on
14.10.2014
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FOREWORD
Dear colleague,
It gives me great pleasure to welcome you to our latest report The Global Commercial and Civil
UAV Market Guide 2014 - 2015!
Thank you for your interest!
As we entered into an era of UAVs, international policy makers and stakeholders from all countries
must consider both the concerns and the economic potential of these new technologies. UAV
technology progressed much in the past ten years making civil and commercial applications feasible
and compelling, and the technology holds the potential to benefit citizens and industries in many
ways. In addition to its applications, UAV technology is supposed to positively impact jobs and
economic development on a global scale.
Projections of the economic impact of autonomous vehicle industries are typically generated
through the point of view of the current industry portfolios. However, similar to the Internet, UAV’s
are expected to create whole new industries. Current vehicle technologies are based on moving
people and products, whereas UAV’s will not only move people and products (and more of them),
but will perform new activities that were not feasible in the past. Most likely new activities will
involve: first responders, agricultural harvest monitoring, security, surveillance of utility grid
networks, oil and gas pipelines, heat pipelines, energy efficiency audits, wind power plant audits,
photovoltaic power plant audits, etc.
Global commercial and civil UAV industry will pressure to increase its share in the UAV global
production mix, becoming a reliable source of cost effective, energy efficient and sustainable aerial
transportation solution.
Enjoy your reading!
Yours sincerely,
Ilko Iliev
CEO
Inea Consulting Ltd.
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1. METHODOLOGY
1.1. Methodology
We draw conclusions from a dataset that uses public sources, industry reports from reputable
institutions, on-site interviews, assessment from established experts and detailed review of articles
in a reputable local media, sorted by relevance and covering the last 4 years.
During the course of preparation of this analysis, most of the information was independently
verified where possible. Please note that where exact data was not available, common business
sense was applied to validate the integrity and feasibility of the information. The existing report is
in the form of a “high-level summary” quoting sources where needed. Any portion of this document
is a subject to follow-up review and further elaboration if needed. All sources, contacts, findings
and information used for the analysis have been properly identified and are available for further
work.
The methodology employed in this market study is summarized below:
1. Research and analysis of the current global political and economic climate relevant to the
development of the commercial and civil UAV industry sector;
2. Research of International and European regulations and legislative framework related to the
commercial and civil UAV industry sector;
3. Assessment of the main risks related to potential investments in the commercial and civil UAV
industry sector;
Our conclusions are based on information and data gathered through extensive industry research
including:
Industry reports from reputable institutions;
Interviews with industry stakeholders including executives and managers of companies
operating in the sector, manufacturers of UAVs, journalists and government officials;
Detailed review of articles published in the last 4 years by reputable international media.
Our forecasts for future development of the global commercial and civil UAV industry sector are
built on the basis of the following scenarios:
The “Moderate case” scenario assumes rather pessimistic market behaviour with no major
reinforcement or adequate replacement of existing national and international aviation
regulations.
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The “Optimal case” scenario assumes rather realistic market behaviour with some
reinforcement or adequate replacement of existing national and international aviation
regulations. This scenario has higher probability compared to “Moderate case” and “Best case”
scenarios.
The “Best case” scenario assumes the continuation, adjustment or introduction of adequate
national and international aviation regulations, accompanied by a strong political will to
consider commercial and civil UAV industry segment as viable and important one in the
coming years. Achieving this will also require removing unnecessary administrative barriers
and streamlining aviation regulations and procedures.
Under these three scenarios, this report analyses the historical development of the global
commercial and civil UAV industry and its potential for the future.
In this bottom-up approach, consolidated forecasts should be understood as a range of possible in
global commercial and civil UAV industry market developments, with a high probability between
the “Moderate case” scenario as the lower boundary and the “Best case” scenario as the higher
one. Lower or higher forecasts are of course possible, but with a lower probability.
Currency exchange levels used in this report are as follows:
EUR/USD – 1.26894
1.2. Limitations
This market guide report does not contain descriptions of each reviewed documents. We have only
identified and discussed those documents and issues, which we regard as being material in the
context of the global commercial and civil UAV industry. The accuracy of this report is dependent
on the Reviewed Documents being true, complete, accurate and not misleading. This report is a key
issues market outlook and does not purport to provide a very detailed description of all the facts
that we have established in the course of global commercial and civil UAV industry development. It
is important to mention that we consider in our analysis only global commercial and civil UAV
industry, thus we exclude military UAV market segment from this market guide.
We have not sought or received confirmation, information or clarifications from the counterparties
to the agreements, arrangements or documents provided to us, nor from any other third party, as
to the status of such agreement, arrangement or document, the relationship between the parties
thereto or otherwise.
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2. EXECUTIVE SUMMARY
This report reveals current state and future trends about global commercial and civil UAV industry.
It is intended to provide the reader with an overview on the economics and regulation of the
industry.
Aviation regulations and restrictions: Currently, the development and expansion of the UAV
market is showing that adequate regulatory framework established on a global level does not exist.
Some countries have already adopted legislation and relevant bylaws to enable operation of small
UAV’s on their territory. Canada, Australia and Brazil voted their first regulations for UAV’s between
2007 and 2011, UK in 2011, France and USA in 2012. Of course these regulations should not be
considered like fixed. They will change along with the progress and development of UAV industry.
Civil aviation has to this point been based on the notion of a pilot operating the aircraft from within
the aircraft itself and more often than not with passengers on board. Removing the pilot from the
aircraft raises important technical and operational issues, the extent of which is being actively
studied by the aviation community and addressed by ICAO regulations and guides regarding UAVs.
Current market trends: After many years of growth and innovation mainly in military segment, the
global UAV industry is now going through a challenging period, with possible increasing of market
dynamics towards wider use of UAVs for commercial and civil purposes. The current levels of
dependence on fossil fuels, the need of reducing the carbon emissions and footprint associated
with energy use and the prospects of developing a new and extremely innovative technology
sectors, make commercial and civil UAVs increasingly attractive. Small UAV’s costs are becoming
more and more competitive.
A stronger effort towards further development and technological innovation will make the
commercial and civil UAV sector more productive and competitive, and accelerate its evolution.
Nevertheless of increased competition in the last few years, the global UAV market is currently
continue to be highly compacted and consolidated with a small number of companies dominating
global sales. It is necessary to point out those positions of the current market leaders are
increasingly under pressure from newcomers and existing competitors offering a range of cost-
effective UAV capabilities and cutting edge innovative technologies.
Regional breakdown shows that North America (mainly USA) like in the past decade continues to be
leading global UAV market for 2013 with 61 % followed by Asia Pacific (APAC) with 20 %, Europe
with 17% and MENA with 2%.
Risks and challenges associated with UAVs: The inevitable global expansion of UAV’s creates some
challenges and risks: In order to operate in the national airspace of any country in the world, UAV
systems must have documentation and analysis to show that it can operate at a satisfactory level of
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safety. UAV systems have higher accident rate than manned aircraft. UAV’s manufacturers and
service providers have to ensure that will not endanger security and privacy of citizens.
Development of unified international standards for licensing and medical qualification of UAV’s
crew is necessary to ensure safety operation of UAV’s in national and international air space.
Catastrophic control failure prevention and procedures especially for UAV’s operated in populated
areas should be developed in order to avoid disasters and negative impact in general. Points of
impact from catastrophic failure should be calculated reduce probability of bystander injuries and
other related damages. Legislation for operation of UAVs is missing and/or is complicated in many
countries and inadequate communication between government stakeholders’ results in
investments outflow and present obstacle for UAV industry development in those countries.
Environmentalists and community-based organizations, despite generally being in favor of
endeavors for UAV industry development, at times have radically different opinions from UAV
operators, mainly because of hazardous waste generated by UAVs.
Future market trends: Commercial and civil UAV industry is gaining positive image globally in the
recent years and enjoys increased attention and sympathy by the general public. In order to ensure
the continued wide public and political acceptance of commercial and civil UAVs, it is essential that
the UAV industry reinforces its communication on its advantages and carbon reduction credentials,
but also on its social contribution as an industry generating sustained and sustainable socio-
economic development.
Market evolution over the next few years will depend mainly on developments in USA followed by
Asia Pacific and Europe and the ability of policymakers responsive for international and national
aviation regulations to maintain market conditions at an acceptable level. A lot of new jobs are
expected to be created in the leading UAV markets. The countries where commercial and civil UAV
market has not developed until now will be interesting to follow in the coming years, because of
their untapped potential but also for the unique opportunity to witness a different market
development than what was experienced until now in the global leader USA and several European
and Asian countries.
According to analysis conducted by Inea Consulting Ltd., the current global market value of
commercial and civil UAVs under best case scenario will reach € 563.7 million in 2014 and is
expected to continue its growth to € 612.9 million in 2015.
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3. WHAT IS UAV
An unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV), commonly known as a drone and referred to as a Remotely
Piloted Aircraft (RPA) by the International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO)1, is an aircraft without
a human pilot aboard. Its flight is controlled either autonomously by onboard computers or by the
remote control of a pilot on the ground or in another vehicle. The typical launch and recovery
method of an unmanned aircraft is by the function of an automatic system or an external operator
on the ground.2 Historically, UAVs were simple remotely piloted aircraft, but autonomous control is
increasingly being employed. A UAV is capable of controlled, sustained level flight and is powered
by a jet, reciprocating, or electric engine.
UAV’s have been usually created and deployed for military and special operation applications, but
in the 21st century, technology reached a point of sophistication that the UAV is now being given a
greatly expanded role in many areas of commercial and civil aviation. In the future, UAVs will
interact with general aviation and commercial flights in many different ways. Solar powered UAVs
have endurance of more than 300 hours. They will bring with them new technologies and new
possibilities in terms of missions.
The payload is one of the key components of each UAV system. It is usually placed below the
structure of the UAV body. Pay load consists of different equipment and is depending of what is the
mission and use target of specific UAV. Payload usually includes module for controlling and
operation, GPS, navigation sensors, communication equipment, photo and video cameras, thermal
cameras, sensors for data collection and transmission, etc.
It is recognized that a need exists to develop a system of UAV classification. However, while the
process for developing a group system is ongoing within Europe (EUROCAE1 Working Group 73)3
and the USA (RTCA2)4 the process has not yet completed. Until the classification work is concluded,
the table below will be used as interim guidance towards a UAV classification group.
Category MTOM (kg) Aviation Regulation level
Small UAV < 20 National
Light UAV > 20 < 2150 National
UAV > 150 ICAO, EASA
Table 1: Classification of UAVs
1 http://www.icao.int/Pages/default.aspx
2 http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Unmanned_aerial_vehicle
3 European Organization for Civil Aviation Equipment
4 Radio Technical Commission for Aeronautics
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4. AVIATION REGULATIONS AND RESTRICTIONS FOR USE OF COMMERICAL AND CIVIL UAV
4.1. Global Legal and Regulatory Framework
Currently, the development and expansion of the UAV market is showing that adequate regulatory
framework established on a global level does not exist. Some countries have already adopted
legislation and relevant bylaws to enable operation of small UAV’s on their territory.
Canada, Australia and Brazil voted their first regulations for UAV’s between 2007 and 2011, UK in
2011, France and USA in 2012. Of course these regulations should not be considered like fixed.
They will change along with the progress and development of UAV industry.
Civil aviation has to this point been based on the notion of a pilot operating the aircraft from within
the aircraft itself and more often than not with passengers on board. Removing the pilot from the
aircraft raises important technical and operational issues, the extent of which is being actively
studied by the aviation community and addressed by ICAO regulations and guides regarding UAVs.
The International Civil Aviation Organization (ICAO) is a UN specialized agency, created in 1944
upon the signing of the Convention on International Civil Aviation (Chicago Convention). ICAO
works with the Convention’s 191 Member States and global aviation organizations to develop
international Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) which States reference when
developing their legally-enforceable national civil aviation regulations.
UAV’s are a new component of the aviation system, one which ICAO, countries in the world and the
aerospace industry are working to understand, define and ultimately integrate. These systems are
based on cutting edge developments in aerospace technologies, offering advancements which may
open new and improved civil/commercial applications as well as improvements to the safety and
efficiency of all civil aviation. The safe integration of UAV’s into non-segregated airspace will be a
long-term activity with many stakeholders adding their expertise on such diverse topics as licensing
and medical qualification of UAV’s crew, technologies for detect and avoid systems, frequency
spectrum (including its protection from unintentional or unlawful interference), separation
standards from other aircraft, and development of a robust regulatory framework.
The goal of ICAO in addressing unmanned aviation is to provide the fundamental international
regulatory framework through Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs), with supporting
Procedures for Air Navigation Services (PANS) and guidance material, to underpin routine operation
of UAV’s throughout the world in a safe, harmonized and seamless manner comparable to that of
manned operations. This circular is the first step in reaching that goal. ICAO anticipates that
information and data pertaining to UAV’s will evolve rapidly as States and the aerospace industry
advance their work. This circular therefore serves as a first snapshot of the subject.
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4.2. European Legal and Regulatory Framework
In December2013, the European Council asked the European Commission to develop a framework
for the safe integration of drones into civil air space as from 2016.
EC Regulation 216/2008 (the Basic EASA Regulation) establishes the European Aviation Safety
Agency (EASA) and makes provision for Implementing Rules dealing with airworthiness certification,
continuing airworthiness, operations, pilot licensing, air traffic management and aerodromes.
Neither the Basic EASA Regulation nor the Implementing Rules apply to aircraft carrying out
military, customs, police, search and rescue, firefighting, coastguard or similar activities or services
(State aircraft). EU Member States must, however, ensure that such services have due regard as far
as practicable to the objectives of the EASA Regulation.
Certain categories of civil aircraft are also exempt from the need to comply with the Basic EASA
Regulation and its Implementing Rules. These exempt categories are listed in Annex II to the Basic
EASA Regulation (Annex II aircraft). The exempt categories which are of relevance for UAV are:
aircraft specifically designed or modified for research, experimental or scientific purposes and
likely to be produced in very limited numbers;
ex-military aircraft; and
unmanned aircraft (UAV) with an operating mass of 150 kg or less.
Any aircraft which is subject to the Basic EASA Regulation and Implementing Rules (e.g. an
unmanned aircraft more than 150 kg which is neither experimental nor used for State purposes)
will be required to have an EASA airworthiness certificate. An aircraft which is not required to
comply with the Basic EASA Regulation, either because it is a State aircraft or because it comes
within one of the exempt categories, remains subject to national regulation so far as airworthiness
certification and continuing airworthiness are concerned.
Implementing Rules for airworthiness certification and continuing airworthiness have been in force
for some years. Implementing Rules for operations, pilot licensing, air traffic management and
aerodromes came into force during the course of 2012 and 2013. EC Regulation 785/2004 came
into force on 30 April 2005 requiring most operators of aircraft, irrespective of the purposes for
which they fly, to hold adequate levels of insurance in order to meet their liabilities in the event of
an accident. This EC Regulation specifies amongst other things the minimum levels of third party
accident and war risk insurance for aircraft operating in to, over or within the EU (including UAS)
depending on their Maximum Take-Off Mass (MTOM). The EC Insurance Regulation does not apply
to State aircraft or to model aircraft with an MTOM of less than 20 kg.
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5. GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET
5.1. Market overview
After many years of growth and innovation mainly in military segment, the global UAV industry is
now going through a challenging period, with possible increasing of market dynamics towards wider
use of UAVs for commercial and civil purposes. The current levels of dependence on fossil fuels, the
need of reducing the carbon emissions and footprint associated with energy use and the prospects
of developing a new and
extremely innovative
technology sectors, make
commercial and civil UAVs
increasingly attractive. Small
UAV’s costs are becoming
more and more competitive.
A stronger effort towards
further development and
technological innovation will
make the commercial and civil
UAV sector more productive
and competitive, and
accelerate its evolution.
Nevertheless of increased competition in the last few years, the global UAV market is
currently continue to be
highly compacted and
consolidated with a small
number of companies
dominating global sales. It
is necessary to point out
those positions of the
current market leaders are
increasingly under pressure
from newcomers and
existing competitors
offering a range of cost-
effective UAV capabilities
and cutting edge
innovative technologies.
Chart 1: Global spending on commercial and civil UAVs 2007 – 2013 (in million €)
Chart 2: Regional breakdown of the global commercial and civil UAV market in 2013
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Regional breakdown for 2013 shows that North America (mainly USA) like in the past decade
continues to be leading global commercial and civil UAV market for 2013 with 61 % followed by Asia
Pacific (APAC) with 20 %, Europe with 17% and MENA with 2%.
However there are only two known cases of commercial drone licenses having been granted in the
USA. One is for oil British Petroleum and the other for six film companies based in Hollywood,
California. Both were the result of heavy lobbying. One from BP themselves and the other from the
Motion Picture Association of America on behalf of its subcontractors. Otherwise, commercial use
of drones is largely inaccessible to small and medium-sized business owners in the USA, because of
limiting legislation.
Canada is one of the leaders in commercial applications for drones, largely because of its
progressive legislation. Drones are already being used in Canada for monitoring of piping and power
lines, as well as various other uses including crop monitoring.
The UK was also one of the first countries to pass drone legislation and this has given it an
advantage in implementing drones for commercial uses. It is being sued there as well in order to
monitor various public and private properties.
Commercial and civil UAV industry is gaining positive image globally in the recent years and enjoys
increased attention and sympathy by the general public. The rapid development of the industry has
recently put UAVs increasingly under the spotlight and, on many occasions, competing interests
have challenged the commercial and civil UAV industry in many respects. In order to ensure the
continued wide public and political acceptance of commercial and civil UAVs, it is essential that the
UAV industry reinforces its communication on its advantages and carbon reduction credentials, but
also on its social contribution as an industry generating sustainable socio-economic development.
The multi-faceted value of UAV technology resulting from the multiple applications and services it
can provide must also be communicated to the wider public and deny emerging misconceptions
about its limitations.
5.2. Future development trends
Market evolution over the next few years will depend mainly on developments in USA followed by
Asia Pacific and Europe and the ability of policymakers responsive for international and national
aviation regulations to maintain market conditions at an acceptable level. A lot of new jobs are
expected to be created in the leading UAV markets. The countries where commercial and civil UAV
market has not developed until now will be interesting to follow in the coming years, because of
their untapped potential but also for the unique opportunity to witness a different market
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development than what was experienced until now in the global leader USA and several European
and Asian countries.
Chart 3: Forecast of global spending on commercial and civil UAVs 2013 – 2015 (in million €)
According to analysis conducted by Inea Consulting Ltd., the current global market value of
spending on commercial and civil UAVs under best case scenario will reach € 563.7 million in 2014
and is expected to continue its growth to € 612.9 million in 2015. Global UAV market, which is
dominated by its military segment, is possible to face pressure for structural and competitive
changes as a result of the emerging commercial and civil UAV market.
Chart 4: SWOT analysis of the global commercial and civil UAV market
Some of the current leading players in the global UAV market (including military segment) will
specialize within the commercial and civil UAV market, concentrating on key technologies, features
and services to maximize sales and increase their share in this increasingly competitive market
segment. Newcomers and start-up companies bringing technological innovations and know-how,
€ 509.5 2013 € 563.7 F 2014 € 612.9 F 2015
STRENGHTS
- Cost effective aerial transportation
- Carbon footprint reduction
- Access to remote areas
- Technological innovations driven market
WEAKNESSES
- Global aviation regulations need improvement
- Lack of unified international standards about crew certification, medical qualification ,etc.
- High R & D cost of UAVs equipped with the necessary specialized equipment
OPPORTUNITIES
- New emerging market
- Development of new UAV based services
- Market place for UAV software and SDK
- Flight endurance increase with solar power
THREATS
- Slow harmonizarion process of global aviation regulations for UAV operation
- New technology, which is not well tested and may have higher failure rate
- Strong influence of NGO's and social organizations
SWOT
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will also threat positions of the current market leaders, who will have to adapt their business
models and strategies to rapidly shifting market dynamics of commercial and civil UAV industry.
Therefore the global commercial and civil UAV market is estimated to grow in 2014 – 2015.
However strong political willpower is needed to build confidence in market players and industry
participants, to establish solid ground for future growth, remove bottlenecks and maintain a
reliable but dynamic national and international regulatory framework for development and
commercial and civil use of UAV systems. Global commercial and civil UAV market will be volatile in
the near future, mostly influenced by the uncertain legal and regulatory framework governing
commercial and civil UAVs use.
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6. COMPETITIVE LANDSCAPE
6.1. Manufacturers and equipment suppliers of commercial and civil UAVs
In this chapter we present brief selection about some of the most important manufacturers and
equipment suppliers of commercial and civil UAVs.
3D Robotics5 develops innovative, flexible and reliable personal drones and UAV technology for
everyday exploration and business applications. DR’s UAV platforms capture breathtaking aerial
imagery for consumer enjoyment and data analysis, enabling mapping, surveying, 3D modeling and
more. Our technology is currently used across multiple industries around the world, including
agriculture, photography, construction, search and rescue and ecological study.
senseFly Ltd6 is a Swiss company based in Cheseaux-Lausanne. senseFly develops, assembles and
markets autonomous mini-drones and related software solutions for civil professional applications
such as accurate mapping of mining sites, quarries, forests, construction sites, crops, etc. Since
summer 2012 senseFly is a member of the Parrot group.7
Aibotix8 since February 2014 is part of Hexagon (NASDAQ OMX Stockholm: HEXA B), a leading
global provider of integrated design, measurement and visualization technologies. As part of this
global network, it benefits from the expertise of other renowned brands such as Leica Geosystems,
Intergraph and Tridicon, with whom it works closely and jointly develops solutions.
DJI Innovations9 is the global leader in developing and manufacturing high performance, reliable,
and easy to use small UAV systems, for commercial and recreational use. The company has over
500 employees, and is among the largest in the commercial UAV market. It is dedicated to making
aerial photography and videography accessible to professional photographers, cinematographers
and hobbyists anywhere. Global company operations span to North America, Europe and Asia.
Walkera with the concept of "Walking in Era and Towing the Trend", replying on its strong research
& development ability, and manufacturing capacity, Guangzhou Walkera Technology CO., LTD. has
become a professional commercial UAV manufacturer that unifies product research &
development, production, marketing, and service.10
5 http://3drobotics.com/about-us/
6 https://www.sensefly.com/about/company-profile.html
7 http://www.parrot.com/usa/
8 http://www.aibotix.com/about-aibotix.html
9 http://www.dji.com/company
10 http://www.walkera.com/en/article.php?id=5&cat_id=2
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6.2. Software developers for commercial and civil UAVs industry
In this chapter we present a brief selection of some of the most important software developers and
for the commercial and civil UAVs industry.
Proprietary software
Many companies create proprietary software like controllers for their own devices. Most of it is not
accessible by third parties and developers. Industry shows first signs of open software and open
interfaces for drones.
DroneDeploy11 is a company focusing on developing software that adapts drones for businesses
and industrial purposes. It enables cloud control for drones by connecting them to LTE and 3G
networks. The main sectors it focuses on are construction, agriculture and surveying.
Airware12 is a combination of software running on a hardware unit controlling the main functions of
the drone, providing connectivity to a third party sensors and external devices.
Open software
Flyver13 is among the first companies providing open interface to drones aimed to developers. It
enables them to write designated apps for drones. Flyver announced its public marketplace for
drone apps developed by independent developers where drone owners can download and run
Android based apps created for drones.
Parrot is among the companies providing documented interface to certain parts of their software
allowing users to develop their own applications for Parrot’s flagship drone product – Parrot
Ar.Drone.
ArduPilot/APM a project by 3D Robotics is an open source autopilot system supporting multi-
copters, traditional helicopters, fixed wing aircraft and rovers. The Project clone APM:Copter is
designated specifically for rotary wing multicopter vehicles.
OpenDroneControl is an open source software platform for developing interactive artworks and
research projects with aerial robotics. ODC was developed to be a community-supported
framework for connecting commercially available quadcopter platforms to a common programming
interface. The framework provides access to platform specific sensors and optionally allows for
additional functionality such as navigation and tracking.
11
https://www.dronedeploy.com 12
http://airware.com 13
http://flyver.co/
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7. CONCLUSIONS
This report analyzed the economics, the public policy, and the regulatory risks in the global
commercial and civil UAV sector, which remains the promising industry for the period 2014 - 2015.
Uncertainty about new and expanding markets for UAV technology makes it difficult to predict
economic impact by extrapolating data from existing related industries. The brief economic analysis
presented here is preliminary and conservative, but provides pretty enough insight regarding
growth potential of global UAV market. Our analysis based on primary-source information,
interviews, case studies, and desk research finds the following advantages and problems:
The Importance of Balanced Global Regulation Policy about UAVs
While UAV’s have evolved into a technology that can serve a variety of industries, many
stakeholders have operated without a clear understanding of regulatory policy—partially because
the policy is underdeveloped. Now that the technology is moving into the public consciousness,
many believe that law enforcement on international level is the critical focal point, and requires the
most attention because of privacy concerns. In reality, there are also many commercial interests
attention. Across the nations in different countries, law enforcement is calling for clear and
appropriate guidelines concerning when they can and cannot use this important, potentially life-
saving technology, in the pursuit of suspects.14
For all the above reasons is important international policy makers and stakeholders from all
countries to organize meetings, workshops and conferences and to develop finally clear and
reliable legislation for UAV that will not change frequently. Therefore today’s policy decisions and
their adequacy to the UAV industry requirements could have an enormous impact on economy of
UAV market in the next few years and beyond. Aviation administrations in many countries currently
allows UAV’s to fly in their national airspace only by exception, however plans to move from
accommodation of UAV’s to integration, enabling a variety of new commercial and civil applications
are existing in USA, UK, France, Germany, Canada and other countries.
The production and use of UAVs are increasing every day throughout the world. While the United
States and Israel were the sole producers of UAVs only 15 years ago, today China, Russia, Iran,
Australia, Brazil, Germany, Turkey, and Canada have stepped up their development programs and
have begun exporting systems internationally. Commercially successful platforms such as Northrop
Grumman’s Global Hawk, General Atomics’ Predator, AAI’s Shadow, and Boeing/Insitu’s ScanEagle
and Firescout UAS have been joined by a host of foreign-developed platforms. These include
Turkey’s Anka, Europe’s nEUROn, Australia’s Campcopter-S, and South Africa’s Seeker 400, which
14
Darryl Jenkins & Bijan Vasigh, The Economic Impact of Unmanned Aircraft Systems Integration in the United States,
Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (2013)
INEA CONSULTING LTD: GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET GUIDE 2014 - 2015
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offer similar capabilities at lower costs regionally.15 As developers and prospective customers seek
to deploy autonomous aerial transportation in useful new ways, then policy makers have to take
decisions that can accelerate the pace of innovation and growth in UAV industry. This will result in
attracting new companies to engage with production in UAV industry and creating many jobs.
The attractive economics of the investment. Competition continues to grow as the countries
looking to develop high paying, high-tech manufacturing jobs see unmanned aircraft as a unique
opportunity to enter into both commercial and military environments—offering products that can
be used in multiple roles for domestic and international missions.
Future market trends
Because UAV’s have captured the public’s imagination, striving to a leadership position in this
industry will fit well on a technological and economic progress in the countries, which have
developed national strategies to support UAV industry development.
Commercial and civil UAV industry is gaining positive image globally in the recent years and enjoys
increased attention and sympathy by the general public. In order to ensure the continued wide
public and political acceptance of commercial and civil UAVs, it is essential that the UAV industry
reinforces its communication on its advantages and carbon reduction credentials, but also on its
social contribution as an industry generating sustained and sustainable socio-economic
development.
Market evolution over the next few years will depend mainly on developments in USA followed by
Asia Pacific and Europe and the ability of policymakers responsive for international and national
aviation regulations to maintain market conditions at an acceptable level. A lot of new jobs are
expected to be created in the leading UAV markets. The countries where commercial and civil UAV
market has not developed until now will be interesting to follow in the coming years, because of
their untapped potential but also for the unique opportunity to witness a different market
development than what was experienced until now in the global leader USA and several European
and Asian countries.
Projections of the economic impact of autonomous vehicle industries are typically generated
through the point of view of the current industry portfolios. However, similar to the Internet, UAV’s
are expected to create whole new industries. Current vehicle technologies are based on moving
people and products, whereas UAV’s will not only move people and products (and more of them),
but will perform new activities that were not feasible in the past. Most likely new activities will
involve: first responders, agricultural harvest monitoring, security, surveillance of utility grid
15
HIS Jane’s UAVs 2012
INEA CONSULTING LTD: GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET GUIDE 2014 - 2015
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networks, oil and gas pipelines, heat pipelines, energy efficiency audits, wind power plant audits,
photovoltaic power plant audits, etc.
Risks and challenges associated with UAVs. The inevitable global expansion of UAV’s creates some
challenges and risks: In order to operate in the national airspace of any country in the world, UAV
systems must have documentation and analysis to show that it can operate at a satisfactory level of
safety. UAV systems have higher accident rate than manned aircraft. UAV’s manufacturers and
service providers have to ensure that will not endanger security and privacy of citizens.
Development of unified international standards for licensing and medical qualification of UAV’s
crew is necessary to ensure safety operation of UAV’s in national and international air space.
Catastrophic control failure prevention and procedures especially for UAV’s operated in populated
areas should be developed in order to avoid disasters and negative impact in general. Points of
impact from catastrophic failure should be calculated reduce probability of bystander injuries and
other related damages. Legislation for operation of UAVs is missing and/or is complicated in many
countries and inadequate communication between government stakeholders’ results in
investments outflow and present obstacle for UAV industry development in those countries.
Environmentalists and social community-based organizations, despite generally being in favor of
endeavors for UAV industry development, at times have radically different opinions from UAV
operators, mainly because of hazardous waste generated by UAVs and because of privacy
protection of citizens.
Geopolitical environment. One of the key issues for the UAV industry is the global geopolitical
situation. Geographical location of countries, their economic development and historical traditions
often result in conflicts of interests. Development, progress and penetration of UAV is inevitable,
but the findings of this report suggest that all participants in this industry are currently expecting
predictable legislative and administrative regulations on their national level and on the
international level as well. It is obvious that governments of some countries like Australia, Canada,
Brazil, France, UK and USA are taking more effective steps towards regulations of UAV industry.
INEA CONSULTING LTD: GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET GUIDE 2014 - 2015
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8. LIST OF ABBREVIATIONS
Some of the following abbreviations and definitions are used throughout this market guide:
Aircraft (ICAO) Any machine that can derive support in the atmosphere from the
reactions of the air other than the reactions of the air against the
Earth’s surface
AGL Above Ground Level
AUVSI Association for Unmanned Vehicle Systems International
CAA Civil Aviation Authorities
GPS Global Positioning System
GIS Geographic Information System
HALE High Altitude Long Endurance
MAV Micro Air Vehicle
MTOM (MTOW) Maximum Take-Off Mass/Weight
MALE Medium altitude long endurance
EASA European Aviation Safety Agency
EUROCONTROL European Organisation for the Safety of Air Navigation
ICAO International Civil Aviation Organisation
R&D Research and development
RPV Remotely Piloted Vehicles
SUAV Small unmanned aerial vehicle
UAS Unmanned Aircraft System
UAV Unmanned Aerial Vehicle
INEA CONSULTING LTD: GLOBAL COMMERCIAL AND CIVIL UAV MARKET GUIDE 2014 - 2015
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9. REFERENCES
1. Transnational Institute (NL) and Statewatch UK 2014. Report about Eurodrones.
2. STIMSON 2014. Report of the task force on USA drone policy.
3. Uncork-It Communications 2014. The future of unmanned vehicle systems in Virginia
4. AUVSI 2013. The economic impact of unmanned aircraft systems integration in the USA
5. Strategy for European Union 2012. Towards the development of civil applications of
unmanned aircraft systems (UAS)
6. ICAO Cir 328, ICAO 2011. Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), ISBN 978-92-9231-751-5
7. Commercial Aviation Authority of UK 2011. CAP 722 - Unmanned Aircraft System Operations in
UK Airspace – Guidance
8. European Commission/EASA 2008. UAV Task-Force Final Report
9. European Commission 2005. European Civil Unmanned Air Vehicle Roadmap
10. DISCLAIMER
This market guide contains important information. Please read it carefully before investing and
keep it for future reference. No financial adviser, dealer, salesperson or any other person has been
authorized to give any information or to make any representations, other than those contained in
this document, in connection with the contents of this market guide and, if given or made, such
other information or representations must not be relied on as having been authorized by official
representatives of Inea Consulting Ltd. The information contained herein has been obtained from
sources deemed reliable. While every reasonable effort has been made to ensure its accuracy, we
cannot guarantee it. No responsibility is assumed for any inaccuracies. All used pictures, trademarks
and data sources belong to their owners. Readers and investors are encouraged to consult their
professional advisors prior to acting on any of the material contained in this document. With the
progress of the global commercial and civil UAV market development, this publication is supposed
to have new editions. Please contact officials of Inea Consulting Ltd. in order to be sure you read
the latest document version.
© 2014, Inea Consulting Ltd., Manufactured in the UK; All rights reserved. Last edited on 14.10.2014
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