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Ajuno: End User Appraisal Report

The End User Advancement and Sharing Exchange (EASE) has released a pivotal paper titled “End User Appraisal,” which offers a comprehensive analysis of the current state and future prospects of drone technology integration across various sectors in the UK. This document synthesizes insights from leading drone end users, highlighting critical challenges, cross-sector opportunities, and the maturity levels of drone adoption.​

Critical Challenges in Drone Integration

The paper identifies several significant obstacles impeding the widespread adoption and impact of drone technology:​

  1. Regulatory Hurdles: Despite the introduction of the UK Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) aiming to streamline regulatory processes, many end users find the framework complex and the associated costs for intricate operations prohibitive.​
  2. Funding Gaps: The conclusion of the Future Flight Challenge Phase 3 has left numerous projects without sustainable funding, posing a threat to their progression towards commercialization.​
  3. Senior Stakeholder Buy-In: Achieving commitment from senior stakeholders remains challenging, often due to the intertwined issues of regulatory complexities and financial constraints.

Cross-Sector Opportunities for Drone Applications

The document highlights promising avenues where drone technology can be effectively utilized across different sectors:​

  • Inspection: Drones offer a safer and more efficient means for inspecting infrastructure, reducing the need for manual assessments in hazardous environments.​
  • Emergency Response: In critical situations, drones can provide rapid situational awareness, aiding in search and rescue operations and disaster management.​
  • Delivery Services: The potential for drones to revolutionize delivery systems, especially in remote areas, is significant, offering faster and more cost-effective solutions.​

Maturity Levels of Drone Adoption

EASE conducted a benchmarking exercise to assess the maturity of drone integration among end users, categorizing them into four stages:​

  1. Initial: Limited awareness and ad-hoc drone use with some trained personnel and basic policies.​
  2. Developing: Structured drone use for specific tasks with early investments, facing challenges in regulation and data integration.​
  3. Established: Full integration of drones into operations with dedicated teams and budgets, enabling data-driven decision-making.​
  4. Leading: Expanded drone operations across multiple sites with full regulatory compliance and integration of advanced technologies like AI and automation.​

The assessment revealed that the majority of organizations are in the early stages of drone adoption, with five users at the ‘Initial’ stage and five at the ‘Developing’ stage, indicating substantial room for growth and development.​

Strategic Actions for Enhanced Drone Impact

To address these challenges and capitalize on opportunities, the paper outlines strategic actions:​

  • Regulatory Engagement: Collaborate with regulatory bodies to simplify processes and reduce costs associated with complex drone operations.​
  • Sustainable Funding Models: Develop innovative funding strategies to support projects transitioning from research to commercialization.​
  • Stakeholder Education: Conduct targeted initiatives to inform and engage senior stakeholders about the benefits and potential of drone technology.​
  • Cross-Sector Collaboration: Foster partnerships across industries to share knowledge, resources, and best practices for drone integration.​

Conclusion

The EASE “End User Appraisal” paper underscores a critical juncture for the UK drone ecosystem. By addressing regulatory and financial challenges and promoting collaborative efforts, there is a significant opportunity to harness drone technology’s full potential, driving innovation and efficiency across multiple sectors.

Read other:

9 April 2025

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Drones in Action: Emergency Response

Drones in Action End User Stories:

Emergency Response – 86 Lives Saved from Drone Enhanced Missions

The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) is integrating drones into search and rescue missions, enhancing emergency response capabilities. Traditional methods can be slow or limited in certain conditions, particularly in remote or hazardous areas.

By using drones equipped with thermal sensors and BVLOS capabilities, MCA has saved 86 lives with drone enhanced missions and improved operational efficiency, reducing reliance on costly alternatives.

This approach also contributes to over £50 million in annual savings while reducing risks for rescue teams.

See more below

Learn more about the MCA

Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full

The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.

Read more on Drones in Emergency Services & Blue Lights

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REGISTER: AGM & Annual Conference 2025 – 29 April 2025

We’re delighted this year’s ARPAS-UK AGM & Annual Conference 2025 will take place at Cranfield University – a leading institution in aerospace and autonomous systems, and a long-standing ARPAS-UK member.

It’s the ideal setting for a day of insight, discussion, and networking. We know travel isn’t always possible, so the event will be hybrid, with the option to attend in person or online via Microsoft Teams.

Following the AGM, the programme will include talks and discussions across key industry themes. We’ll hear from end-users and sector leaders on market adoption, with speakers including Sellafield Ltd and Esri UK, followed by policy and regulation from the DfT and CAA, and sessions on innovation and airspace.

Interactive SLIDO will be run during the day to gather your views and questions.

Unable to attend in person? Submit your Proxy Vote to the Chair via the Registration Form – link below

We look forward to welcoming you – in-person or online – for what promises to be an engaging and valuable event!

AGM & Annual Conference 2025 | Agenda

Need to cancel? You may transfer your place to a colleague or contact [email protected]

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DRONES IN ACTION: Train Track Inspection

Drones in Action End User Stories:

£1 million Network Rail savings annually* thanks to a drone-based survey solution by Plowman Craven. The system operates 20 metres above the tracks with precision accuracy of +/- 5mm – meeting Network Rail’s requirements without disrupting services or putting workers at risk.

Traditional inspection methods often require access to live tracks, leading to service interruptions and safety concerns. In contrast, this approach removes the need for on-track workers and helps avoid the typical six-week lead time for possession, accelerating project timelines and reducing costs.

Learn how this “boots-off-ballast” approach is transforming rail inspection across the UK.

See more below

Learn more about Plowman Craven

Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full

The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.

Read more about Energy, Utility & Infrastructure

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DJI & Midwich: New Generation Dock 3 Briefing – 15 April 2025

As part of the Tech North Event, DJI & Midwich will launch the new DJI Dock 3 in Manchester on 15 April 2025.

The Dock 3 will be on site in the Cricket Ground at The Point, Emirates, Old Trafford and flying. Senior representation from DJI Europe will be present too. They are eager to see how the UK sector is.

Attend the event to find out more about the Dock 3, explore opportunities and what they might mean for your company.

For attendees, the opportunity to not just see the latest DJI units, but also gain useful exposure into the complimentary security sector as well as the latest AV technologies has proved to be a key takeaway from previous events.

For Further Events

25 March 2025

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Fireside Chat 03 | Drone Class Marking in the UK in 2026 – March 2025

In this third episode of the ARPAS-UK Fireside Chat series, Directors Anne-Lise Scaillierez and David Thurston discuss the UK government’s recent announcement on drone class marking and the appointment of the Market Surveillance Authority (MSA).

From 1 January 2026, drones in the Open Category must meet new product standards under the Class Marking framework, aimed at improving safety and compliance.

Anne-Lise and David discuss what these changes could mean for drone operators and the wider industry, and how ARPAS-UK will support members through the transition.

We recently wrote about the MSA appointment and Drone Class Marking announcement – Read the full article

Remember to subscribe to our YouTube channel, and hit the notification bell! Alternatively, listen to our Fireside Chats and updates on Spotify.

Read more Regulation news

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ARPAS-UK at Westminster eForum: UK Drone Regulation & Growth

ARPAS-UK was invited as part of Westminster eForum conference on 31 March 2025 entitled: “Next steps for the UK drone industry – policy, regulation, investment, growth and innovation”.

This recording provides ARPAS-UK keynote, delivered by CEO Anne-Lise Scaillierez, who contributed specifically to a panel focused on the relationship between Regulation and the Drone Industry.

Read more on Regulatory Matters here

Visit our YouTube Channel, Subscribe & Hit the Notification Bell

Listen to this episode on our Spotify channel

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DfT announce over £20 million to help drones and flying taxis take to UK skies

The UK Government wants the UK to have an advanced aviation ecosystem where everyone can benefit from new technology while tackling emissions. To help it get there, the Department for Transport has announced over an additional £20 million.

Drone services at a commercial scale and flying taxis could soon be a reality as the Aviation Minister confirms over £20 million funding today (1 April 2025) to launch new flight technologies.  

The new funding will unlock barriers to growth – which is the priority of the Plan for Change – and maximise opportunities for better and cheaper public services while cutting carbon emissions.

It is designed to advance aviation tech to support healthcare for the NHS, assist police forces in combatting crime, help inspect and survey critical infrastructure and unlock delivery services for businesses and communities across the country.   

As part of this, both the Aviation Minister and Science Minister have today also set out how the Department for Transport (DfT), Civil Aviation Authority (CAA) and the new Regulatory Innovation Office (RIO) in the Department for Science, Innovation and Technology (DSIT) will streamline regulatory processes to support the commercialisation of the industry. 

Aviation Minister, Mike Kane, said:  

I want the UK to have the most advanced aviation technology ecosystem in the world.  

That means creating a nimble regulatory environment and a culture of innovation so everyone can benefit from cutting-edge transport while tackling emissions, traffic and potentially saving lives. 

Our investment alongside the new Future of Flight industry group will bring together tech experts, drone operators, flying vehicle manufacturers and local communities to identify where change needs to happen.

With safety at the heart of these advancements, the RIO is driving smarter regulation to cut red tape while ensuring high safety standards. It will support DfT and CAA in enabling faster, integration of drones and flying taxi industries, helping businesses grow and innovate.

This includes consulting on the mandatory use of new electronic conspicuity standards and technologies, which allow aircraft to share their location electronically, helping drones and crewed aircraft fly safely alongside each other. By making approvals quicker and operations more efficient, this will open new opportunities for the industry while maintaining the highest safety standards.

Science Minister, Lord Vallance, said:

These regulatory reforms for drones – requiring all aircraft to share their location – will make drone operations safer and therefore speed up approvals, allowing them to operate near airports and simplifying their use for delivering medical supplies – while unlocking further commercial opportunities.

This is a practical step to cut red tape and a great piece of progress for the Regulatory Innovation Office, growing the UK’s position as a world leader in emerging technologies and helping drive the growth that will deliver our Plan for Change.

In addition, as previously confirmed by the Chancellor, plans are now underway to simplify regulations to enable 2-year airspace change for drone operations. This will enable operators to fly safely for longer and gather data to inform future services.    

Other changes will simplify regulations to enable emergency services including firefighters and paramedics to use drone services, as well as noise exemptions for drone trials within the Airspace Change Process, and simplifying the drone operational application process to enable them to get flying faster and easier.

Furthermore, the regulator, drone operators, flying vehicle innovators and local authorities will come together with government at the Future of Flight industry group to help guide the government on its mission to transform technology in aviation. 

Part of the government’s Plan for Change, the group will focus on how to unlock the benefits of future aviation technologies to propel the country’s economic growth forward. It will look at how government can harness the potential of technology and create a culture of innovation, with the aim of improving everyday challenges like emergency across the public sector face, while helping cut carbon emissions. 

The Minister for Aviation will co-chair the group, alongside Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports.

Duncan Walker, CEO of Skyports and Co-Chair of the Future of Flight industry group, said:

This additional government funding is a vital boost for the UK’s leadership in next-generation aviation. This investment will accelerate the development and deployment of innovative flight technologies, from complex drone operations to advanced air mobility solutions. 

I welcome this commitment, which will not only drive progress towards a more sustainable and connected future but also deliver significant economic benefits, high-value jobs and export opportunities across the UK. I look forward to continuing to work in close partnership with government and the regulator to turn these opportunities into reality.

The funding will be divided between the CAA, receiving £16.5 million in 2025 to 2026, to deliver a regulatory programme to enable drones to fly beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) and progress toward routine use of air taxis (eVTOLs) in UK skies.  

This includes publishing a piloted eVTOL ‘roadmap’, development of ‘drone pathways’ for industry to follow and consulting on concept of operations for uncrewed traffic management (UTM) and Detect and Avoid (DAA) technology. This will make it quicker and easier for industry to prove the safety of these new technologies, deliver the necessary digital infrastructure and make sure that people, property and other aviation remain safe and secure when these new technologies fly in our skies. 

Stuart Simpson, CEO of Vertical Aerospace, said:

Flying taxis will transform the way we move — making it quicker, quieter and cleaner to travel while connecting communities and supporting essential services.

The UK has an incredible opportunity to lead the world in this new era of aviation, delivering not just greener transport but real economic growth and skilled jobs.

This latest funding is another welcome step towards seeing that ambition realised and our world-leading aircraft flying in British skies from 2028.

In addition, the Future Flight Challenge will receive up to £5 million from DfT and Innovate UK, to support industry to turn these new technologies into profitable business that benefits communities and support growth. This will include regional demonstrations and supporting development of commercial drone and air taxi solutions.

Mike Biddle, Executive Director of Net Zero, Innovate UK, said:

Innovate UK is excited to build on the highly successful work of the Future Flight Challenge by working in partnership with DfT through this joint funding. We look forward to working with industry, end-users, DfT, DSIT and the CAA as we accelerate the transition from innovation to commercial operations.

1st April 2025

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DRONES IN ACTION: Peatland Restoration

Drones in Action End User Stories:

Reducing CO2 by 50 Tonnes/Ha Annually

The ‘Drone Re-peat’ project by SEAD Artists uses drones to reseed degraded peatlands, helping to reduce CO₂ emissions, lower flood risk, and open up new opportunities for crop cultivation.

Peatland degradation has led to the release of vast amounts of carbon dioxide into the atmosphere.

Restoring these ecosystems is essential for reducing greenhouse gas emissions and combating climate change.

Read more below

Read more about SEAD Artists

Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full

The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.

More on Drones in Agriculture

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DRONES IN ACTION: Decommissioning Nuclear Sites

Drones in Action End User Stories: Sellafield Ltd has embraced the future of safety and efficiency by deploying cutting-edge drone technology.

Taking apart the old nuclear site at Sellafield is tricky because traditional inspection methods pose significant risks to personnel. There was a critical need for a safer and more efficient way to conduct inspections and map areas, especially where there might be lots of harmful radiation, to ensure safety and accuracy without exposing workers to danger.

Enhanced Safety | Cost Savings | Improved Efficiency

Read more below

Read more about Sellafield Ltd

Read our most recent Drones in Action Report in full

The report explores how drones are transforming industries – from asset inspection and precision agriculture to complex oil and gas infrastructures – enhancing efficiency, safety, and sustainability across sectors. We update every 6 months.

More on Construction, Mapping & Survey

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