Terra Drone Company, a number one expertise firm within the drone and City Air Mobility (UAM) {industry}, has introduced its acquisition of majority shares in Unifly, the worldwide chief in UTM Know-how. In Unifly’s 2016 Collection A funding spherical, Terra Drone took the lead funding place, partnering with QBIC and PMV, an funding fund backed by the Flemish authorities. The next Collection B spherical in 2018 noticed participation from present shareholders, and welcomed the Deutsche Flugsicherung (DFS), Germany’s Air Navigation Service Supplier (ANSP). DFS is each a strategic accomplice and a buyer of Unifly. Additionally investing was FPIM, the Federal Public Holding Fund of the Belgian Authorities. By 2022, the Japan Abroad Infrastructure Funding Company for Transport & City Improvement (JOIN), a authorities fund of the Japanese Ministry of Transport, had develop into a shareholder in Unifly.
With this latest acquisition in 2023, Terra Drone’s share in Unifly has risen to 51%. In collaboration with different shareholders, Terra Drone underscores its dedication to Unifly’s long-term technique and imaginative and prescient. Aiming for strategic integration, Terra Drone seeks to develop its international drone and UAM operations, paving the best way for a strong aerial infrastructure.
In 2016, when the drone market was nonetheless rising, Terra Drone noticed the potential and made an funding in Unifly. They understood the importance of a digital infrastructure platform in guaranteeing the protection and effectivity within the skies, important for the expansive progress of the drone {industry}. Their choice was influenced by the rising significance of UTM and by Unifly’s present relationships with Air Navigation Service Suppliers (ANSPs) in a number of European nations. At the moment, Unifly offers UTM techniques to ANSPs in over eight nations, together with NAV CANADA in Canada, ENAIRE in Spain, DFS in Germany, and skeyes in Belgium. This intensive consumer base solidifies Unifly’s main place within the UTM {industry}, and their technical experience and reliability have been widely known by the market.
The Unifly platform is used globally, dealing with various and sophisticated regulatory environments. Whereas it provides a totally compliant implementation of Europe’s U-space regulation, it’s also adaptable to the Canadian RPAS Regulation.
In reside Air Site visitors Administration (ATM) situations, the platform facilitates the coexistence of drones with manned plane. A major indicator of its reliability is Nav Canada’s intensive use of Unifly’s platform inside managed airspace. With Nav Canada’s UTM deployment, over 100,000 flight approvals have been processed via the UTM platform, emphasizing its essential position within the evolution of recent aerial infrastructure.
Moreover, Unifly extends its experience by supporting a number of nations in R&D initiatives, significantly within the USA and Europe. This effort is a mirrored image of Unifly’s dedication to guide and set benchmarks in UTM and UAM.
The Unifly platform showcases its adaptability with native deployments in locations just like the Port of Antwerp, the place autonomous Past Visible Line Of Sight (BVLOS) drone flights are carried out each day. Extending its footprint to the Center East, Unifly is the chosen UTM platform for NEOM—a visionary mega-city underneath development in Saudi Arabia. With grand ambitions, NEOM is on the right track to develop into the world’s first metropolis solely supported by Superior Aerial Mobility (AAM).
Merging Unifly’s well-established technological capabilities, highlighted by its in-depth case research, with Terra Drone’s ambition, we foresee a major increase within the international improvement and evolution of UAM and UTM. This collaboration is essential for shaping the way forward for the worldwide aerial setting.
Feedback from Toru Tokushige, founder and CEO of Terra Drone:
“From the start of the drone {industry}, Terra Drone noticed the immense potential of UTM. Our latest choice to amass the bulk shares in Unifly is a testomony to our dedication to deepen this relationship. Unifly is targeted on strengthening this partnership by utilizing their superior expertise and expertise to enhance the secure and environment friendly use of drones in key areas like surveying, inspections, logistics, safety, and catastrophe response, amongst others. This partnership brings us a major step nearer to realizing our imaginative and prescient.”
Feedback from Andres Van Swalm, founder and CEO of Unifly,
“Unifly is devoted to enabling the way forward for autonomous aviation. With Terra Drone’s dedication to speed up the expansion of the UAM and drone {industry}, our collective imaginative and prescient is about to develop into a actuality ahead of anticipated. Standing on the forefront of UTM improvement, we now have develop into an industry-respected thought chief. As a number one UTM expertise supplier, our main aim is to reinforce the protection and effectivity of autonomous aviation in on a regular basis life. Collectively, we’re shaping the drone and UTM {industry} on a world scale, and I’m assured that our united efforts will expedite the conclusion of our shared imaginative and prescient.”
