In recent years, drone technology has had a major impact on private users. As far as the commercial use of unmanned aircraft is concerned, however, Germany still has plenty of room for improvement – and more than enough competition. This is confirmed by a recent study conducted by BDL and BDLI.

The future is commercial

According to the market study “Analysis of the German drone market” by the Verband Unbemannte Luftfahrts (VUL), founded by BDL and BDLI, there are already almost three times as many drones today as in 2015. This is mainly due to the private market.

• The total number of unmanned aerial vehicles has risen from 170.000 four years ago, to about half a million today.
• In 2015, there were only 8.000 multicopters in commercial use. Since then, that number has more than doubled to 19.000.
• The market will continue its rapid growth: By 2030, there will already be 847.000 drones  in circulation throughout Germany – 79 percent more than today.

In the future however, the strongest growth will no longer occur due to private users, but thanks to the commercial sector. While private use promises strong growth for another two to three years, there will hardly be any growth there by the mid-2020s. Between 2018 and 2030 the number of privately used drones will increase by 58 percent to a total of 721,000. The situation is quite different in the commercial segment: increasing commercial use of this new technology will lead to an increase of 563 percent to a total of 126,000 units. While today only one in 24 German drones is being operated commercially, by 2030 it will already be one in six.

Take advantage of the boom!

At FlyNex, we support companies that recognize the great potential of drone-based solutions in implementing them. This way, we hope to improve German society’s acceptance of drone technology and to inspire improvements to the regulatory framework. Those will be necessary to ensure, that the German drone market remains internationally competitive in the long-term. Do you want to lead your company into the future with drone technology, too? Our software solutions MAP2FLY, HORIZON and GEOSPHERE may be just what you need. Find out more now!

The FlyNex Team