From niche to necessity

One thing is clear following this year’s International Drone Show in Odense: drones are no longer a technology primarily associated with future scenarios and pilot projects. On the contrary, the drone sector is now rapidly moving towards becoming a central part of Europe’s security policy landscape and critical infrastructure.

This was emphasised at IDS26, which this week brought together over 1,500 participants from 40 countries at HCA Airport in Odense – the highest number in the event’s history.

Both the conference programme and the numerous live demonstrations showed that the drone industry has evolved significantly in recent years: from demonstration projects and trials to concrete operational solutions that are already being used in practice in sectors such as defence, energy, logistics and critical infrastructure.

„If you compare it with just a few years ago, it is clear how quickly the drone sector has developed. Previously, the focus was very much on potential and future prospects. Now, conversations are increasingly about production, robustness, supply chains and, not least, business. This says a lot about where the drone industry stands right now – and it is precisely this development that we are bringing stakeholders together to discuss at IDS, where the focus is on technology, applications and the business opportunities that come with them,“ says Søren Elmer Kristensen, CEO of Odense Robotics, which, together with the national drone test centre UAS Denmark Test Center, is behind IDS.

Security and resilience on the agenda

The war in Ukraine and broader geopolitical developments have simultaneously accelerated the need for European drone capabilities and new partnerships between industry, research and defence.

At IDS26, the focus was, among other things, on Europe’s opportunities to build stronger and more independent drone value chains – in software, production and critical components.

„As a test centre, we are seeing a significantly greater need to be able to test and develop solutions closer to operational reality. This is particularly true in the collaboration between industry and defence, where innovation cycles have become much shorter than before. This places new demands on the interaction between developers, test environments and authorities, and it is this development, among other things, that a unifying industry event such as IDS helps to support,“ says Michael Larsen, Head of UAS Denmark Test Center.

Denmark has become an international hub for drones

The strong interest in IDS is clear evidence that the Danish drone ecosystem is attracting growing international attention.

This is driven in part by the presence of UAS Denmark Test Center, a strong ecosystem of drone companies and startups supported by Odense Robotics, as well as the establishment of the Danish Armed Forces‘ Drone Center in Odense. Together, these strengths have helped position Denmark – and Odense in particular – as an international hub for drone innovation, testing and deployment.

Next year’s International Drone Show is already on the calendar and will take place on 2-3 June 2027.

Facts about IDS26

IDS26 took place on 3 and 4 June at HCA Airport. Highlights of the event included:

– Approx. 1,500 participants
– 40 countries represented
– 170 exhibitors
– 26 live demonstrations
– 65 speakers

The conference programme focused on, amongst other things:

– Defence and security
– Critical infrastructure
– European drone production
– Advanced Air Mobility
– Integration of drones into European airspace
– The use of drones in energy, offshore and logistics

Photo: Lasse Skov

Wenn Sie Google als Suchmaschine nutzen, können Sie Drones als bevorzugte Quelle hinterlegen, damit unsere Inhalte häufiger für Sie erscheinen. Fügen Sie Drones als bevorzugte Quelle hinzu.

Im Drones PR-Portal erscheinen Nachrichten und Meldungen von Unternehmen aus der Drone-Economy. Für die Inhalte der Pressemitteilungen sind die jeweiligen Unternehmen verantwortlich.