|
The drone industry is booming in Italy. According to a PwC Strategy & Italy report, the whole Advanced Air Mobility industry, which includes consumer and professional devices, software, infrastructure, and R&D investments, is currently worth €600 million and is predicted to grow to €1.46 billion in 2030. Growth is spread throughout multiple areas, with passenger transportation being the most important. This growth will be propelled by the introduction of electric vertical take-off and landing (eVtol) aircraft, as well as the steady implementation of air taxi infrastructure networks along major airport-city routes over the next two years, particularly in Rome, Milan, and Venice. Freight transportation is also experiencing rapid growth, and marine and underwater drones are recording notable expansion, with their increase (from €94 million to €217 million) anticipated to be propelled by initiatives involving leading industry actors and university spin-offs. The healthcare sector is a major driver of drone development in Italy, transporting medications, vaccines, and biological products. In Abruzzo, alongside Amazon Prime Air trials for cargo transportation, a successful demonstration delivery of urgently required medications from the hospital in Avezzano to the pharmacy in Collelongo, a small village at 900 meters above sea level, was accomplished. In Veneto, a field trial of hydrogen-powered drones is currently being conducted at Padua Airport and nearby hospitals, while additional trials are progressing in Southern Italy; for instance, drones have been operated between Naples and Procida to facilitate postal delivery. Finally, nine Italian cities have announced plans to build a vertiport.
|