INTELLIGENCE FOR SMART COMMUNITIES
Beyond analytical and inspection applications, drones are widely used for visual documentation: project narratives, stakeholder communication, event coverage, marketing materials, and archival records. High-quality aerial video and photography provide perspectives that are impossible to capture from ground level, making them … Continued
Norway’s drone sector includes a growing ecosystem of companies across platform development, service delivery, software, and component manufacturing. This ecosystem reflects the country’s broader strengths in maritime technology, autonomous systems, and harsh-environment engineering. Platform and component developers Norwegian companies contribute … Continued
Residential construction—from individual houses to multi-unit developments—generates requirements for progress monitoring, quality assurance, defect identification, and handover documentation. Drone-based survey and inspection complement traditional quality processes by providing systematic aerial documentation at each construction stage. Progress and quality documentation For … Continued
Telecommunications networks depend on physical infrastructure—towers, masts, antenna arrays, cable routes, and equipment shelters—that requires regular inspection and maintenance. Drone-based inspection offers a faster, safer alternative to climbing and rigging for many of these inspection tasks, particularly for tower-mounted equipment … Continued
Civil engineering and survey companies rely on accurate spatial data for site assessment, design validation, construction monitoring, and as-built documentation. Drone-based photogrammetry, LiDAR, and multispectral survey provide data at scales and resolutions that complement traditional survey methods, often at lower … Continued
Manufacturing and processing facilities—including chemical processing, materials production, and industrial fabrication—require regular inspection of equipment, structures, and environmental conditions. Drone-enabled inspection reduces the need for confined space entry, working at height, and equipment shutdown, improving both safety and inspection frequency. … Continued
Healthcare facilities—hospitals, health parks, and medical campuses—represent significant infrastructure investments that require ongoing monitoring, maintenance, and security. Large healthcare developments, such as the Drammen Helsepark project in Norway, involve multi-year construction phases followed by decades of operational life. Drone services … Continued
Airports—from major international hubs to remote regional airfields—present specific opportunities and challenges for drone-enabled services. Runway and taxiway inspection, perimeter security monitoring, wildlife management, foreign object debris (FOD) detection, and infrastructure condition assessment are all tasks where drone technology can … Continued
Smart city initiatives aim to improve urban services—transport, energy, safety, environmental quality—through the integration of digital technologies, data analytics, and connected infrastructure. Drone-enabled services are an emerging component of this urban technology landscape, offering aerial perspectives and rapid-response capabilities that … Continued
The SPADE project—Multi-purpose physical-cyber agri-forest drones ecosystem for governance and environmental observation—is a Horizon Europe funded initiative with 21 partners across 10 European countries. Running from 2022 with a four-year duration, SPADE addresses the use of drone technology in agriculture, … Continued