UAV DACH - Association for Unmanned Aviation

𝗠𝗶𝘀𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗮𝗰𝗰𝗼𝗺𝗽𝗹𝗶𝘀𝗵𝗲𝗱. Nothing but satisfied faces, a spirit of optimism, and an energy you could almost feel in the air. In short: XPONENTIAL Europe was a resounding success. Compared to last year’s inaugural event, this year’s show raised the bar across the board and cemented its position as Europe’s leading trade fair for automated systems and robotics. As co-host of the trade show, UAV DACH was responsible for the “Air” section and, after an eventful few days in Düsseldorf, was also able to draw a thoroughly positive conclusion. In addition to the highly acclaimed EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM, the European Association for Unmanned Aviation made a splash primarily with live demonstrations of BVLOS operations over the Rhine and the UAV DACH Precision Pilot Challenge, which involved the digital surveying of the Theodor-Heuss-Brücke. Following a roundtable event with representatives from the UAS industry, a memorandum of understanding was signed to massively expand production capacities for drones and drone defense systems. And at various networking and information events, the UAV DACH team welcomed participants from different parts of the global UAS industry. “We’ve had three incredible days in Düsseldorf. XPONENTIAL Europe is not only the leading European trade fair for autonomy and robotics, but in just its second year, it has already established itself as one of the world’s leading trade fairs for our industry,” emphasized Dr. Gerald Wissel, Chairman of the Board of UAV DACH. “The dynamism and energy that were palpable both at the booths and during live demonstrations and conferences such as our EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM are exactly what our industry needs.” #uas #uav #drones #xponential #bvlos

Drohnen haben sich in Wirtschaft, Gesellschaft und Militär zu einem wichtigen Instrument entwickelt. Die industrielle Skalierung dieser Systeme ist daher eine zwingende Voraussetzung für technologische Souveränität, wirtschaftliche Wettbewerbsfähigkeit und operative Resilienz. Auf Einladung von Flottillenadmiral Christian Bock, Leiter des Innovationszentrums der Bundeswehr in Erding, kamen im Rahmen der XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Düsseldorf führende Vertreterinnen und Vertreter der Drohnenindustrie zu einem Round Table zur Stärkung der industriellen Produktionskapazitäten zusammen. Das Treffen wurde vom europäischen Industrieverband UAV DACH organisiert, der auch die Koordination der weiteren Aktivitäten in diesem Format übernimmt. Zum Abschluss wurde die Absichtserklärung „UAS/C-UAS Serienproduktion – 100.000 Systeme pro Jahr“ unterzeichnet. Diese sieht vor, zusammen an den Rahmenbedingungen zur Erreichung der Zielvorgabe von Produktionskapazitäten für Drohnen und Systeme zur Drohnenabwehr bis zum Jahr 2027 von mehr als 100.000 Einheiten pro Jahr zu arbeiten. Airbus Helicopters Alpine Eagle b.r.m. IT & Aerospace Chem4Batteries GmbH Copting GmbH Creabis GmbH | AM-services Diehl Defence HHLA Sky GmbH IABG IAV Liebherr Group NXP Semiconductors OHB SE OptoPrecision GmbH Plettenberg Quantum Systems Rheinmetall RKB-REITZ electronic AG Schaeffler Skyeton TenneT Twentyfour Industries ZESTRON

Drones have become an essential tool in business, society, and the military. The industrial scaling of these systems is therefore a crucial prerequisite for technological sovereignty, economic competitiveness, and operational resilience. At the invitation of Rear Admiral Christian Bock, Head of the Bundeswehr Innovation Center in Erding, leading representatives of the drone industry met for a roundtable discussion on strengthening industrial production capacities during XPONENTIAL Europe 2026 in Düsseldorf. The meeting was organized by the leading European industry association UAV DACH, which is also coordinating further activities in this format. The meeting concluded with the signing of a declaration of intent entitled "UAS/C-UAS Series Production – 100,000 Systems per Year." This agreement outlines collaborative work on the framework to achieve a production capacity of more than 100,000 units per year for UAS and Counter-UAS systems by 2027. Airbus Helicopters Alpine Eagle Auterion b.r.m. IT & Aerospace Chem4Batteries GmbH Copting GmbH Creabis GmbH | AM-services Diehl Defence HHLA Sky GmbH IABG IAV Liebherr Group NXP Semiconductors OHB SE OptoPrecision GmbH Plettenberg Quantum Systems Rheinmetall RKB-REITZ electronic AG Schaeffler Skyeton TenneT Twentyfour Industries ZESTRON

That was super quick. We already closed the 66th General Assembly significantly before schedule. So there was enough time to make a family portrait. The members of the European Association of Unmanned Aviation re-elected Gerald Wissel, Oliver Gregor Lichtenstein, Torsten Fiolka, and Jan Schönberg to the Executive Board, Martin Pietrek was newly elected as Board Member for Finances. Now the cozy part of the evening can start earlier than expected.  

Last preparations before our 66th General Assembly in Düsseldorf. The day before XPONENTIAL Europe and EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM, we meet at Messe Düsseldorf to discuss the assessments of the last few years and to elect the Executive Board for the next term. We're looking forward to fruitful discussions and great networking opportunities.  

𝗧𝗵𝗲 𝗳𝘂𝘁𝘂𝗿𝗲 𝗼𝗳 𝗳𝗹𝗶𝗴𝗵𝘁 𝗶𝘀 𝘂𝗻𝗰𝗿𝗲𝘄𝗲𝗱. Next Tuesday (24 March), XPONENTIAL Europe is about to start. Finally. And UAV DACH will have a significant appearance at the leading European platform for autonomy and robotics. As the official co-host chairing the air domain, the European Association for Unmanned Aviation is deeply involved in on-site activities. We can't wait to welcome you to our booth (Hall 1, B47) in Düsseldorf. Join the EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM, the German Drone Defence & Innovation Forum in cooperation with the German Armed Forces, the UAV DACH precision pilot challenge, BVLOS flight Demos at the Rhine riverbank, or one of our side-events with partners from Denmark, the Czech Republic, Taiwan, and the African Drone Forum. Or just come by to our booth for a chat and a cup of coffee. Let's connect and jointly shape the European UAS Industry. XPONENTIAL Europe is the leading European trade show and conference focused on unmanned systems, autonomy, and enabling technologies across all domains. The event takes place in Düsseldorf from 24–26 March 2026 and brings together technology providers, users, policymakers, and researchers from across Europe and beyond. UAV DACH is the co-host of XPONENTIAL Europe and chairs the activities in the air domain. The EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM takes place on 24 March 2026 as part of the extensive XPONENTIAL Europa conference program. #uav #uas #drones #defence

𝗢𝗻𝗹𝘆 𝗼𝗻𝗲 𝘄𝗲𝗲𝗸 𝘁𝗼 𝗴𝗼. The EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM 2026 is just around the corner. Europe’s leading specialist conference for uncrewed Aviation is organized by UAV DACH and will take place on 24 March 2026 in Düsseldorf as part of XPONENTIAL Europe. Nowhere else do so many decision makers from national and European regulatory bodies meet directly with representatives of the drone economy. Together, they engage in critical dialogue to identify ways to remove the remaining barriers to commercial operations of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS) in Europe and to enable broad UAS adoption across industry and society. We're looking forward to an incredible Lineup of speakers, broad participation from EASA and National Authorities, and numerous representatives from leading manufacturers and service providers. And last, not least: open and controversial discussions about the best way to make 100.000 commercial drones over Europe a reality every day.   You haven't booked your ticket yet? Then click here to reserve your seat in the room and join the discussion: https://lnkd.in/eQsYjFaG (Please note that all XPONENTIAL Europe conference tickets include access to the EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM) #uav #uas #drone #unmanned #edf #easa

Creating products that meet both market demands and critical regulatory requirements does not sound that complicated. But it is. We're curious to learn more from Parrot's journey over the last couple of years and to discover some first-hand insights from Henri Seydoux. You haven't booked your ticket yet? Then click here to reserve your seat in the room: https://lnkd.in/eQsYjFaG (Please note that all XPONENTIAL Europe conference tickets include access to the EUROPEAN DRONE FORUM)

It's crucial that regulatory bodies and the drone economy meet to discuss and identify the best ways to establish a strong UAS Industry in Europe. We're grateful for a specifically strong participation of EASA - European Union Aviation Safety Agency representatives on both the EDF stage and in the audience this year.  

𝗨𝗔𝗩 𝗗𝗔𝗖𝗛 𝗣𝗿𝗲𝗰𝗶𝘀𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗼𝘁 𝗖𝗵𝗮𝗹𝗹𝗲𝗻𝗴𝗲 2026. As part of the leading European trade fair XPONENTIAL Europe, we are joining forces with DroneMasters from Berlin and Airteam Aerial Intelligence GmbH to launch the “UAV DACH Precision Pilot Challenge.” The task: to use manual drone flights to perform a complete, structured, and technically sound inspection of a section of the Theodor Heuss Bridge (built in 1957) in Düsseldorf, Germany, which is in need of renovation. The goal: to bring technology to life as an event and demonstrate in practice how professional UAS service providers are replacing scaffolding, shortening closure times, and creating digital twins that engineers can actually work with. The parameters of flight precision, coverage of critical areas, data usability, and inspection logic & documentation will be evaluated equally. The flights will take place on March 24 and 25, 2026, and the award ceremony will be held on March 26, 2026, on the main XPONENTIAL Europe stage. The application deadline is March 17, 2026. Interested parties can contact the UAV DACH office (geschaeftsstelle@uavdach.org) for further information. #uav #uas #drones #inspection #challenge