H.E. Urs Bucher, Ambassador of Switzerland to the EU, cordially invites you to share a typical Swiss breakfast and join the discussion #SwissBreakfast "Switzerland - Home of Drones" on Wednesday 7th November 2018 from 9.00 am to 10.30 am at the Mission of Switzerland to the EU, Place du Luxembourg 1, 1050 Brussels.
Switzerland is one of the high flyers in drone technology, and Swiss companies are among the most innovative in the sector. With its federal institutes of technology working closely with industry and public authorities, Switzerland has carved out a leading global position in drone technology. For many years, the Swiss Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) has been following closely the radical transformation that is occurring in the traditional aviation with emerging technologies requiring a revolutionized enabling foundation and legal framework.
On 11 September 2018 the New EASA Basic Regulation (EU) 2018/1139 has entered into force, formalising EASA’s role in the domain of drones and urban air mobility and moving the EU from fragmented national markets towards a single EU drone services market. The EU Commission is currently working on rules for operational and technical requirements for drones by the end of the year. These rules also set up the foundations of the U-space, a digital infrastructure that supports safe and efficient access to airspace for millions of drones. It is supposed to be established in 2019.
Where is Switzerland's place in this single drone services market and how can Swiss experience in this field contribute to a smooth transition? What do we need to open the drone services market and keep operations safe, secure and green? Could U-Space be the technical response to legislative developments at European level?
