Supplement: Aerospace
Drones take to the skies as aerospace sector targets diversification A
recent Protolabs Aerospace report shows more than half of people believe commercial drone deliveries will be commonplace by 2023, as governments and firms find new ways to guarantee services.
78 percent of companies questioned from the UK felt convinced that disruption, in the form of drones, represents aerospace’s best opportunity for growth in the future. This figure from the UK outperformed its peers in Italy (75 percent),
COVID-19 has left an undeniable im-
According to a new European aerospace
France (64 percent) and Germany (57
pression on the manufacturing world,
study, challenges posed by the pandem-
percent).
as companies struggle to come to terms
ic are even accelerating the willingness to
with what a ‘new normal’ will mean for
embrace drone technology and, encour-
“COVID-19 has brought huge disruption
people who make things.
agingly, the UK is leading the way.
to the global economy, with the aerospace sector being among the hardest
With the uncertainty of Brexit still shroud-
The first findings of Protolabs’ Horizon
hit,” explained Bjoern Klaas, Vice Presi-
ing industry, the last thing firms needed
Shift report, which involved 325 aero-
dent and Managing Director of Protolabs
was a global pandemic that ripped up the
space business leaders, highlighted an
Europe.
rule book when it came to supply chains
increased appetite for ‘low space’ inno-
and imposed previously unheard-of re-
vation and more investment into the fast-
“However, a crisis can act as a catalyst
strictions on how we trade.
track testing of robots and drones.
for further innovation, forcing organisa-
It has also seen the very best of UK man-
More than half of the companies ques-
rapidly changing times. Our report shows
ufacturing. Businesses, who saw sales
tioned (53 percent) believe commercial
that right now within aerospace, the ‘low
fall off a cliff overnight, have pivoted to
drone deliveries will be commonplace
space’ sector is demonstrating agility in
transfer their expertise into supplying
by 2023, as both the public and private
its approach to innovation and there is a
critical parts for ventilators and other
sector seek safe ways to guarantee ser-
real appetite to see it work in the UK.
frontline efforts, whilst others have ex-
vices whilst containing the spread of any
plored new solutions to help satisfy the
viruses.
tions to seek alternative ways to survive in
need to do things at a distance.
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“In fact, the UKSA (the government agency responsible for the UK’s civil space
