R-SYS and ERA at the DroneCon Conference in Prague

On 4April, the first edition of DroneCon, a professional drone forum, was held at the Czech Technical University in Prague. Approximately 150 visitors to the event, which was organized by Euro weekly, had the opportunity to listen to panel discussions of experts on topics related to unmanned aviation, especially in the Czech Republic. Marek Náhlik – CEO of R-SYS, whose parent company ERA was also a partner of the event, was invited to participate in a panel on drone safety.

Advanced drone services

The opening speech was delivered by the Minister of Transport of the Czech Republic Martin Kupek and the Rector of CTU Vojtěch Petráček. This was followed by the first panel discussion dedicated to the topic of advanced drone services and urban air mobility. Representatives of the Czech ANSP, the Prague Airport, the Ministry of Transport of the Czech Republic and the Czech Chamber of Commerce discussed the need to define a strategy for the development of the drone ecosystem, the possibilities of the current infrastructure for drone services and the need to build a polygon for testing of the U-space implementation procedure under the conditions of the Czech Republic.

Development of the drone economy

The second panel focused on investment opportunities associated with drone technologies and the impact of regulations on the development of the drone economy. The participants raised the topics of the drone ecosystem in the context of legislative requirements, market opportunities and technological innovations. They agreed on the need for European and national regulations guaranteeing airspace safety, standardization of processes and communication between U-Space participants, which also should not hinder the development of business opportunities.

Security challenges

After lunch and networking, the program continued with a discourse on the security challenges that drones currently bring. Marek Náhlik (R-SYS) together with Ladislav Semetkovsky (Primoco), Ales Trtil (LAA), Brigadier General Roman Hyťha (Czech Armed Forces) and Vladimir Šafařík (Rohde & Schwarz) discussed drone detection and elimination systems, the use of unmanned technologies in various interventions, and drones as part of the national security strategy. From the position of the director of R-SYS, a company dedicated to the development and implementation of systems for the management of unmanned operations, Marek Náhlik pointed out the need for safe management of drones in the airspace and its harmonization with the existing infrastructure of ATM.