The Italian drone market is worth 118 million euros: it grows by 20% compared to 2021 and is finally back above the levels reached before the Covid pandemic. A value similar to that of Germany and Portugal and higher than six other European countries, including France. This was revealed by the research presented today by the Drones and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory of the Milan Polytechnic, which sets an ambitious goal: to make a drone-taxi service operational by 2030 for the cities of Rome, Milan and Venice, where working on these infrastructures.
In Italy, there are 706 companies in the sector, while there are almost 60,000 registered drones (only 8% for professional use) and over 87,000 operators. Among the main applications of medium / small drones, there are inspections, surveillance and finally search and rescue. Most of the larger drones, on the other hand, are used for the transport of goods and only 18% for passengers. The latter, in particular, is a sector which is attracting large investments, but which has not yet begun to generate profits for the companies concerned.
However, something is moving: in 2022, the first flight test for eVTOL electric drones was held at Rome Fiumicino Airport, characterized by vertical take-off and landing and used for the transport of people. The goal is to carry out the first demonstrations in 2024 in Rome, on the occasion of the Jubilee, and to make the service operational in 2030 with the possibility of transporting passengers from the airport to the city center in 20 minutes. The test also represented the inauguration of the first Italian ‘vertiport’, one of 6 currently active worldwide. Prototypes are already being built for another 25 and about 40 are in the feasibility study phase.
Source: Ansa
I am a journalist with over 6 years of experience working in the news industry. I currently work as an author for Global Happenings, and my coverage focuses on Technology news. I have written for various publications, including Reuters, The New York Times and The Guardian.
