World’s First Drone Port Opens
On April 21, 2026, Emqopter GmbH celebrated the opening of the world’s first drone port in Würzburg. This event marks a significant step toward integrating autonomous air logistics systems into urban and industrial infrastructures. Under the motto “Experience the automated air logistics of the future,” around 90 guests from politics, business, academia, and industry gathered to discuss the next evolutionary stage of unmanned aerial systems and to experience their practical application in supply chains, industry, and critical infrastructure.
The event focused on the question of how drones and ground robots will no longer merely perform isolated transport tasks in the future, but rather be seamlessly integrated into existing building, hospital, and logistics structures as fully networked systems. The goal is to design processes that are more efficient, safer, and more sustainable. Following welcoming remarks by Dr. Nils Gageik, founder and CEO of Emqopter, Martin Heilig, Mayor of the City of Würzburg, and Michael Bedenk from the Bavarian State Ministry of Economic Affairs, Regional Development, and Energy, two practice-oriented keynote speeches followed.
About 90 guests attended the opening of the world’s first drone port in Würzburg
Medical Care and End-to-End Transport
In his keynote “Air Bridge in the Sky – How Delivery Drones Can Improve Access to Medical Care,” Benjamin Pahlich, Senior Business Development Manager at Wingcopter GmbH, highlighted how drone-based logistics opens up new supply routes and accelerates time-critical transport. Marvin Bihl, Managing Director of Emqopter, then presented in his talk “Automated End-to-End Transport with Robots and Drones” how the combination of autonomous transport drones and autonomous mobile robots creates seamless logistics processes—from automated handover to full integration into existing infrastructure and logistics chains.
Wingcopter and Emqopter presented the results of an initial collaboration in which drone port technology was used for the automatic loading and unloading of a Wingcopter. At 12 noon, the drone port was officially opened with a symbolic maiden flight, including loading and unloading. This demonstration flight marked the operational launch of the facility and a decisive technological leap: away from traditional “door-to-door” delivery concepts toward true “infrastructure-to-infrastructure” logistics. The drone port enables, for the first time, the direct connection of autonomous aerial systems to building interiors, thereby defining a new level of automation.
Innovation Leader and Future Prospects
With the opening of the drone port, Emqopter underscored its role as an innovation leader in the field of unmanned aerial systems “Made in Germany.” The event highlighted the potential of combining robotics, aviation, and digital infrastructure for the future design of mobility, logistics, and supply systems. At the same time, the premiere represented a concrete step toward the realization of comprehensive autonomous air logistics.
EMQOPTER ONLINE
