In the 2023, the Italian drone market recorded notable growth, reaching 145 million euros, with a del% increase 23 compared to the previous year. This confirms the consolidation trend of recent years, despite the slight decrease in active companies, which went from 706 to 664. This was revealed by the research ofDrones and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory of the School of Management of the Polytechnic of Milan. Optimism is high, with 81% of industry insiders predicting strong expansion over the next three years. And already the first estimates for 2024 are more than positive.
Globally, between 2019 and 2023 they were identified 1.471 drone use cases. 70% of these cases concern traditional air operations, while the remaining 30% consist of Innovative Air Mobility & Delivery projects, focused on the transport of goods and people. The main applications in the first segment include inspections and surveys (44%), security and surveillance (20%). In 2023, there was a notable increase in historical deals, with an increase of 186%.
97 vertiport projects around the world
97 vertiport projects, airfields equipped for vertical take-off and landing of electric aircraft (VTOL), have been planned, with only a third in the prototype, development or testing phase. It is expected that 16 of these will become operational by 2024. In Italy, the vertiport of Rome, which stands out for its unique characteristics in Europe, is preparing to become fully operational by the end of the year, while the construction of the one in Venice is underway. Work will begin in 2024 on the construction of 4 new vertiports in Milan while the construction of vertiports in Bologna and Chioggia is also planned. The majority of Italian airports are in favor of the construction of vertiports, with a significant percentage already engaged in active or planned projects within the next three years.
Globally, they have been 480 eVTOL aircraft projects identified (Vertical Take-Off and Landing), with a growth of +530% compared to 2020. However, only 13% of these are currently in the production and sales phase, while the majority are still in the prototype phase (39 %) or conceptual development (48%). According to the AAM reality index, most of these aircraft are expected to enter service starting from 2024.
Drones in Italy: market dominated by Aerial Operations
The investigation highlighted that the professional market of drones, which includes both business-to-business (B2B) and business-to-government (B2G) sectors, is mainly dominated by Aerial Operations (Ao), which represent 97% of the market, while the remaining 3% is made up of Innovative Air Mobility & Delivery (IAM&D) services. Although 38% of companies offer their services to public bodies and 47% of Italian projects are carried out by Public Administrations, the public question it represents only 8% of the overall market value.
Aerial Operations are predominant, with operators capturing 54% of the market value and making up 81% of the 652 companies active in this segment. These operations focus mainly on surveys (67%), aerial photography (64%), and inspections (61%). However, 51% of market participants believe that services could benefit from regulatory development, identifying regulation as the main obstacle to growth. In 2023, ENAC issued 23 operational authorizations for BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations, a slight decrease compared to the 27 in 2022.
Drones: air mobility and delivery services
The segment ofInnovative Air Mobility & Delivery (IAM&D) is, however, mainly characterized by the presence of platform manufacturers and OEMs (Original Equipment Manufacturers), i.e. companies that produce drones under their own brand. These players make up 60% of the 32 companies active in the sector and garner 80% of the market value. This area, although still emerging, has been attracting the interest of companies, bodies, institutions and public opinion for several years.
In 2023, they were announced in Italy several promising projects by cities such as Rome and Milan, and by companies such as Amazon, indicating an excellent prospect for the launch of concrete projects as early as 2024.
“In our country the market is dominated by drones for recreational use, which account for 88% of the over 14.000 d-flight registrations in 2023 – he stated Cristina Rossi Lamastra, Scientific Manager of the Drones and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory – and two out of three companies that do not use drones currently consider the technology not useful to their activities. Our country has the potential to be a trailblazer in the advanced air mobility sector and a point of reference on the international scene, but it still has to work on the development of applications in traditional sectors that can bring great benefits to businesses and public bodies".
Drones: passenger and goods transport is immature
Another rapidly developing area is that of transport of goods and people via drones. Currently, the freight transport represents 77% of IAM&D projects, focusing mainly on the delivery of general goods (54%) and medical supplies (46%). Only 7% of these projects are currently operational, mostly in remote or sparsely populated areas.
The scope of passenger transport it is even more in its embryonic stage, representing only 23% of cases. 72% still in the announcement phase. During 2023, interesting developments emerged on this front, both at an international and Italian level, with cities such as Singapore and New York starting experiments and with Rome and Milan preparing to introduce passenger transport services in 2024 and 2026 respectively .
Drones: businesses still have little maturity in the sector
In Italy, the application maturity of drones is still very low. Only the 13% of companies It can be considered "multifaceted“, having a complete organizational structure, strategic collaborations with external suppliers and using drones specifically made for specific activities. On the other hand, more than one in four companies are still in their early stages using i drones only as an accessory tool and without a dedicated structure, adopting ready-to-use drones and making sporadic use of the technology.
39% of companies with active projects are motivated by the desire to improve the service offered to customers, 24% by the search for a competitive advantage over competitors and 19% by improving the company image.
“2023 was a year of big announcements, regulatory developments and new sector initiatives – he commented Marco Lovera, Scientific Manager of the Drones and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory -. The world of drones and advanced air mobility is experiencing great excitement: the technology is mature, the EASA regulation is now fully applicable and the experts are ready to transform the experiments into operational services both in the more traditional sectors and in mobility and in transportation. The dates of launch of services they get closer: the 2024 must be the year of concreteness and the realization of promises, the understandable hesitations must be addressed rationally, based on objective facts and involving all stakeholders".
“2023 was a year of growth for the professional drone market in Italy – he explained Paola Olivares, Director of the Drones and Advanced Air Mobility Observatory -. We recorded an increase in the Aerial Operations segment and, for the first year, revenues also deriving from freight transport, although still of a very modest amount. However, 2023 also brought a further rationalization of the number of companies active in the sector which is focusing on the most structured and innovative companies. The growth prospects for next year are good and remain positive."
