Fuerteventura Drone Summit brings professionals and businesses together to drive new drone applications and opportunities

Fuerteventura Drone Summit brought professionals, businesses, public administrations, students and others interested in the development of unmanned aircraft systems together at Fuerteventura’s Insular Auditorium this Thursday. The event focused on their professional applications, the challenges posed by regulation and the opportunities they offer across different sectors.

Organised by Fuerteventura Island Council through its Department of New Technologies and funded by the Canary Islands Development Fund (FDCAN), the event provided a forum for exchanging knowledge and experience relating to a technology with an increasingly diverse range of applications.

The programme explored the use of drones in areas including emergency response and civil protection, technical inspections and infrastructure, environmental monitoring and the primary sector. It also covered regulations and the development of U-space, one of the main challenges for the growth and professionalisation of unmanned aircraft operations.

Carmen Alonso, Councillor for New Technologies, said: “Fuerteventura is in a strategic position and has experience that puts us in a privileged position to lead the future of drones.” She added: “We want this conference to connect talent, knowledge and experience and, at the same time, create new employment and development opportunities for the island.”

Rosa Rodríguez, Puerto del Rosario’s Councillor for New Technologies, thanked the organisers for holding the conference in the municipality and highlighted “the joint work of the public administrations to establish Fuerteventura as a benchmark for technological innovation”. She also praised the participation of professionals and businesses in the event.

Knowledge, innovation and new applications

The event featured three technical presentations, contributions from four companies and a range of sessions on the professional use of drones, as well as opportunities for participants from different backgrounds to exchange experiences and make connections.

Topics explored included how these tools can improve emergency response, carry out technical inspections, provide information for land management and support environmental monitoring, as well as their applications in the primary sector.

The summit also highlighted the need for greater coordination between public administrations, operators and businesses, and for specialised knowledge to support the development of the sector on the island.

Towards an island-wide technical network

One of the aims of Fuerteventura Drone Summit is to make progress towards creating an island-wide technical network focused on unmanned aircraft systems. The network would facilitate the exchange of knowledge and help improve coordination between the different parties involved in this technology.

The event is intended to lay the foundations for further opportunities for public administrations, professionals, businesses and emerging talent in the drone sector to meet and collaborate, helping to professionalise the industry and create new opportunities in Fuerteventura.