The Hans Christian Andersen Airport in Odense, Denmark, is not only the venue for the renowned International Drone Show, which will next take place on June 18 and 19. It is also home to the UAS Denmark Test Center. The center for test and development projects in the field of unmanned aviation offers great conditions for the practical testing of UAS and is therefore particularly popular with companies and research institutions from Northern Europe.
The recent announcement by Danish Defense Minister Troels Lund Poulsen that Odense is to become the site of a new drone center for the Danish armed forces from 2026 further increases the importance of the major city on the island of Funen for the European UAS industry. In addition to the education and training of soldiers, the interaction between the military, science and industry is also to be strengthened around HCA Airport in order to drive forward the development of unmanned systems. In particular, the experience gained in Ukraine's defensive campaign against the Russian aggressors is to be incorporated into the development of modern drones and practical operating concepts.
Places like this are an important driving force for technological progress and the further establishment of unmanned systems in the field of civil, military and dual-use concepts. It will be interesting to see what additional momentum the intensified drone operations at HCA Airport will provide for the Northern European UAS industry and beyond.