While UAS operators in the US express frustration over FAA regulations which increasingly restrict the practical and recreational use of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), and regulators in EU nations like the UK and France also lean towards stricter rules, Denmark welcomes the growth possibilities of Drones.
Citing a global market of up to 500 billion Kroner (just under 100 billion USD), and “potentially thousands of Danish jobs” the Unmanned Aircraft Systems organisation of Denmark (UAS Denmark), has called on Danish MPs “to get down to work and to develop a national action plan and a new legal framework for the operation of drones.”
Michael Larsen, project manager for UAS working group in Odense, home to Denmark’s national test centre for drones, points to the recent publication by the Danish Technology Council of a 100 page report analysing the potential benefits of drones to the Danish economy and the necessary steps to build a stronger UAS industry.
“We hope that this report will help to open the eyes of politicians of the need that we have to initiate the necessary legislative and regulatory work now,” Larsen says in an official statement.
Jørgen Clausen, Director and Chairman of Hans Christian Andersen Airport also put his support behind the expansion of UAS programs in the Kingdom.
“In Odense,” Clausen says, “we have invested in creating the right framework for a take-off on drone technology, because we believe that there is potential for growth and jobs. We will be even stronger if regulations leave open the possibilities of fully spreading our wings, so that we, in Denmark, may even help to set future standards.”
As a starting point, and to ensure the safety of the public, Larsen identifies a need to test the drones commercially in areas such maritime technology and agricultural technology first, where population is less dense and the “risk to humans is negligible”. Larsen also suggests that drones be used “in emergency situations where a manned action is too risky.”
UAS Denmark has participation from developers, larger corporations, the large Danish research institutions, professional, private, and public user organisations, such as the Danish National Police, The National Emergency Management Agency, and the Copenhagen Fire Brigade. Five of the organization’s current members are RPAS manufacturers.
The working group’s stated aim is:
[T]o create an effective platform for cooperation between private businesses, authorities and researchers advancing their possibilities for influencing the development nationally and internationally – and taking advantage of the new possibilities. The focus is on uniting the community and strengthening the technological development, promoting framework conditions (for example in connection with rulemaking and funding opportunities), competitiveness and performance with an economic growth agenda in mind.
Flight Chic looks forward to looking out of her window to watch the drones monitoring crops. Visit Denmark, may also consider the opportunity to film some breathtaking travel videos.
Featured Image: Digital Sputnik
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