Drones - Thematic Research

Drones - Thematic Research

Summary

Unmanned aerial vehicles-UAVs or, more commonly, drones-have been around for decades, but with innovations and rising investments, their popularity has grown significantly in the last three years. Drones have moved beyond military applications and have become more widely used by both consumers and enterprises. This has been supported by advances in technology, such as artificial intelligence (AI).

Key Highlights

• According to GlobalData forecasts, the global drones market will reach $89.6 billion by 2030, up from $13.7 billion in 2021. The market share of commercial drones will increase from 34% in 2021 to 64% in 2030. Revenue from commercial drones will surpass military sales by 2025, backed by favorable regulations and an increase in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations. Collaboration among drone manufacturers, aviation companies, and regulators will enable the wider deployment of BVLOS flights. As regulations gradually relax, the use of drones across sectors will likely increase in the next three years.
• The use of drones in construction and agriculture will see strong growth in the next five years. Drones are already proving beneficial for surveying, inspection, and crop spraying. Logistics is another sector that will also see growth in the coming years, as more companies use drones for last-mile and middle-mile delivery.

• This report provides an overview of the drones theme.
• It identifies the key trends impacting growth of the theme over the next 12 to 24 months, split into three categories: technology trends, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory trends.
• It includes global market forecasts for the drones industry and analysis of patents, company filings, and hiring trends.
• It contains details of M&A deals driven by the drones theme, and a timeline highlighting milestones in the development of drones.
• The detailed value chain consists of four layers: hardware, software, services, and end-user.

• The speed of the transition of drones from war zones to retail stores has been phenomenal, especially given the negative associations and misconceptions surrounding them. The ability to collate sensor-generated data with powerful analytical tools presents a wide range of potential commercial and industrial applications, from optimizing work processes to reducing expenditure on tedious manual tasks. At the consumer level, drones are becoming capable of self-navigation and obstacle detection, and drone racing is gaining prominence worldwide. This report provides an invaluable guide to this disruptive theme. It includes comprehensive lists of the leading players across all aspects of the value chain, helping companies identify the right partners.