Industry grows with more than 700 companies, but Italy needs to review overly stringent regulations
The drone market in Italy recorded 94 million euros in 2021, up 29% from the previous year. We are not yet at the same levels as before the Covid-19 pandemic, in 2019 the turnover was 117 million euros, but with 713 active companies nationwide, the drone market is on the upswing. This is according to a report done by the Drones Observatory of the School of Management of the Politecnico of Milano, presented at the conference “Drones: Tradition and Innovation.”
The market is divided into two parts, one operational and the other Advanced Air Mobility. The first group includes small- and medium-sized UAVs used to perform value-added activities. Larger drones that carry out transportation of objects and people are part of the second group.
“The year 2021 has been a year of recovery for the drone market. The industry is undergoing a strong evolution, with several smaller companies leaving the market, with others growing. However, the market is not yet mature and several scenarios have yet to develop for fully operational applications, starting with the prospects of BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) flight,” says Marco Lovera, Scientific Director of the Drone Observatory.