The public sector must take the lead as a key customer. Reliable and predictable demand signals are essential for German and European manufacturers to create the conditions necessary to produce high-quality, competitively priced drones in large quantities. This was one of the key messages conveyed by Oliver Lichtenstein, Deputy Chairman of the UAV DACH Executive Board, on the first day of the International Aerospace Exhibition (ILA) in Berlin.
At a “round table” event organized by Germany Trade & Invest and moderated by Dr. Rainer Müller (GTAI) on the topic “Drones from Germany! What is the answer to the dominance of Asian manufacturers?”, Oliver Lichtenstein outlined the measures that must now be taken so that the UAS industry can compete successfully on the international stage.
Following an introductory presentation by Martin Blessing, the Federal Chancellor’s Special Representative for Investment in Germany, the panelists—Dr. Jan Dirks (BMV, Division LF-19 “Future of Aviation”), Dr. Thomas Schmitt (BDLI), and Oliver Lichtenstein, together with the approximately 50 attendees, discussed how the German UAS industry could not only hold its own in international competition but also assume a leading role.
Oliver Lichtenstein and Dr. Thomas Schmitt of the German Aerospace Industries Association emphasized the need for government agencies, the public sector, emergency services, and critical infrastructure companies to act as anchor customers and generate reliable demand in order to promote the growth and development of the UAS industry. This is not about short-term subsidies, but rather a sustained commitment to Germany as a hub for drones and the driving force behind a European drone economy. After all, the main bottlenecks currently hindering the scaling up of domestic UAS production are not innovation and quality, but rather mass production and reliable demand.
A procurement policy that prioritizes European resilience and “Made in Europe” technologies is the fertile ground on which the drone economy can thrive. “We don’t need a European DJI,” Oliver Lichtenstein therefore summed it up. “We need something that DJI cannot sell to government agencies and public service institutions: high-quality and trustworthy European systems at competitive prices.”