The UAS Denmark Test Center is developing into a European hotspot for drones.
The latest example of this development is the Norwegian listed drone company Nordic Unmanned, which has chosen Hans Christian Andersen Airport and UAS Denmark Test Center as its future base for developing and training pilots. As of autumn 2022, the subsidiary Nordic Unmanned DK will have a permanent address at the drone centre, and the company has already checked into the Funen airport to test and train staff on new drone systems.
“We have concluded that thanks to the location in an active airport, a large airspace for drone flying and a growing ecosystem with potential partners, the UAS Denmark Test Center is ‘second-to-none’ in Europe. The move to such a strong airport environment is an obvious one,” says CTO of Nordic Unmanned Steffan Lindsø and adds:
“We also need more professional pilots and technicians for our large systems, so we hope that our newly started Danish subsidiary will help us grow with even more talented colleagues.”
Nordic Unmanned is one of the leading companies in unmanned systems and solving tasks and has 130 employees in more than 13 European countries.
In the future, Nordic Unmanned will mission-train its pilots in the UAS Denmark Test Center’s 1,900 km2 of airspace, which extends from the airport and north beyond the Kattegat. The Danish address will serve as a training site for new pilots and technicians and to further train current employees.
Nordic Unmanned already has a collaboration with the European Maritime Safety Agency EMSA, where drones are able to handle tasks such as pollution monitoring. According to Nordic Unmanned, drones can perform multiple functions.
“Our drones are used for surveillance tasks such as search and rescue, as well as border surveillance. They are also used for inspecting critical infrastructure such as train lines and bridges, all tasks that today replace manned traffic,” says Steffan Lindsø, and continues:
“The future requires sustainable solutions that are efficient, autonomous and green. Here, the drone industry brings plenty of innovation and solutions to the table.”
The UAS Test Center Denmark is naturally delighted with the news that Nordic Unmanned is moving permanently into the airport.
“Having Nordic Unmanned’s staff and business associates working here generates both direct activity at the airport and a secondary ripple effect. It will generate opportunities to work with other stakeholders, and will generally contribute to the growth we are seeing in the drone area around the test centre. We are proud that a recognised European drone company such as Nordic Unmanned has found our facilities and airspace so suitable for carrying out their testing and training activities that they are now settling with us,” says Head of UAS Denmark Test Center, Lars Michael Larsen.