The Swiss drone industry is expected to grow from CHF 521 million in 2021 to CHF 879 million in the next five years. Major growth drivers are exports of hardware and software products to the European and US markets.
DIAS, The Drone Industry Association Switzerland, has released the first Swiss Drone Industry Report. The Report analyzes the strengths of Swiss drone companies and the competitiveness of the Swiss drone market.
Switzerland has benefitted from very early involvement in drone technologies and applications. This has led to a world leading presence in the specialized and high-end drone segments. The Swiss drone industry will reach CHF 521 million in 2021 – with over CHF 233 million being exported to international markets with focus on Europe and the USA. Strong emphasis is on hardware (89% exported) and software products (96% exported).
The Swiss drone ecosystem is clustered around two main hubs (ETH Zurich and EPFL Lausanne regions), is startup-driven, and active in all categories of unmanned systems. Swiss drone companies raised a total of CHF 214.6 million to date (3% of global investments in drone companies). In the global context, Switzerland ranks first in market size per capita and Swiss drone companies are expected to grow their revenue to CHF 879 million by 2026.
The label “Swiss-made”, access to talent, and the local ecosystem make Switzerland a very attractive place for innovative drone companies; especially disruptive startups. The current Swiss regulatory framework is perceived as favorably permissive, thanks to the support from proactive national regulators.
The Report relays the main recommendations of Swiss drone experts: foster stronger collaboration amongst local drone companies; attract, train and improve access to talents in hardware and software disciplines; make it easier to test and bring products to market, and promote the societal benefits of drone technologies and services.
“The Swiss Drone Industry fosters new mobility solutions including air space dimensions. Therefore this industry report is very important. We support companies – both startups and SME - in this field and thus foster the further development of the drone ecosystem in Switzerland”, says Sebastian Friess, President of Bern Economic Development Agency and main sponsor of the Report.
DIAS - the publisher of the Report - contracted German drone analyst and market intelligence company Drone Industry Insights UG to research and write the Report. In addition to DIAS, the Report was also sponsored by the Bern Economic Development Agency, Innovaud, Switzerland Global Enterprise, and the Swiss Aerospace Cluster. The Report is the result of extensive research, interviews, and surveys conducted by Drone Industry Insights UG from April to June 2021.
