Europe needs to invest in companies that develop technologies to strengthen drone and anti-drone security: "The technology is there. The challenge is European regulations and the implementation of those regulations," says Kasper Aagaard, development director at Erhvervshus Fyn.
NextGen Robotics is an umbrella name for NextGen Innovation projects that invests in cutting-edge drone and security-related technology companies in Europe. According to Kasper Aagard, "Ukraine is currently a world leader in drones and drone applications. And we are trying to give some of their companies the best opportunities to grow, for example by offering them test areas here in Denmark.”.
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According to Aagaard, "Europe's security need at the moment is to be able to protect itself, as we are in a large-scale hybrid war. And that is why we are investing money in companies that develop security technologies. For example, drones and also anti-drone systems.”
The Danish island of Fynia, a key location in an industry that requires large investments
The Danish island of Fynia is a leader in robotics and drones. It is one of the eight poles of excellence in the recovery and resilience plan that the Danish government launched in the aftermath of the pandemic. "Channelling funds into this sector has helped develop more robotics companies that now sell products worldwide. The technology is there. The challenge is the European regulation and the implementation of this regulation in the Danish context, which has to mature, in order to fully exploit this potential," explains Kasper Aagaar.
“Currently, what we see is that the drone industry requires a lot of investment to take the next steps. And the good thing is that, thanks to the money we have received from the European Union, together with other investments from other funds, more than €90 million euros have been invested in the sector since 2021. It's a lot of money, but you have to remember that the US is investing 20 times more in start-ups and China 40 times more," he stresses.