The demand for deploying drones for various applications continues to grow steadily. As a subsidiary of skeyes, the Belgian air traffic controller for manned flights, SkeyDrone takes the lead in the safe and efficient integration of drones into our airspace. By entering into a strategic and commercial partnership with leading technology companies Unifly and Senhive, SkeyDrone is strengthening its ambitions to become the reference Belgian provider of information services for drone operators and authorities.
3 pillars of safe and regulated drone traffic
Through the partnership with Unifly and Senhive, SkeyDrone completes its initial product range of flight authorisation software with fully-fledged solutions in the field of UTM (Unmanned Traffic Management) and drone detection. SkeyDrone will market these integrated solutions in the Benelux and France in a first phase.
Hendrik-Jan Van Der Gucht, SkeyDrone Managing Director: “This collaboration is unique in its conception and brings together three leading Belgian parties with complementary products and unique competences. Through this collaboration we become the first complete service provider in the Belgian drone landscape.”
Leon van de Pas, Unifly CEO: “As a selected technology partner, Unifly looks forward to supporting SkeyDrone in its development as one of the first leading drone service providers in accordance with the new U-space regulations. This is a major step forward for Europe. Senhive’s counter-drone solution completes the picture: identification of drones is absolutely essential for safe airspace. SkeyDrone together with Unifly and Senhive: we are convinced that this is the start of a complete range of essential services that will boost the market for drone services in Europe.”
Thomas Petracca, Senhive CEO: “This partnership allows Senhive to offer an end-to-end solution to our customers. While Senhive focuses on providing drone detection hardware (radar, spectrum analysis, communication systems …), Unifly and SkeyDrone’s products allow us to grow further in the European and American markets.”
Looking towards the future
This closer cooperation between the 3 organisations has not come out of the blue. They have already been working together in a European context for some time. SkeyDrone and Unifly play a prominent role in various European projects and demonstrations on U-space*. It goes without saying that this cooperation will be intensified to speed up the integration and development of their respective software platforms within the Belgian U-space framework. Also with Senhive, several ambitious studies and projects on drone detection and protection against drones (C-UAV) are ongoing, both in a Belgian and European context.
* U-space is a collection of highly digitised and automated functions and procedures, designed to efficiently and safely provide access for increased drone traffic in the airspace. The regulatory framework for U-space is expected to enter into force in early 2023.
About the partners:
SkeyDrone:
This subsidiary of skeyes (the Belgian air traffic controller for manned flights) offers services and products to enable safe and efficient drone traffic. Skeyes, Defence and the 6 public airports in Belgium use the digital platform of SkeyDrone to authorise and monitor drone flights.
Unifly:
The Belgian company Unifly is the world leader in managing unmanned air traffic. The Unifly platform connects authorities with pilots to safely integrate drones into airspace. The national air traffic control authorities of Belgium, Canada and Germany, among others, use Unifly’s solution to manage drone traffic in their airspace.
Senhive:
Developer and integrator of critical communication and sensor systems. In addition to customers within airports, seaports, police and civil protection, Senhive also supports various European projects in the fields of drone detection, forest fire fighting and critical communications.
More information can be found on the following websites:
