- The EU Drone Summit 2026 took place on 9 and 10 November
- The event was held at Egmont Palace in Brussels
- More than 300 representatives attended
- The summit reviewed the EU Drone Strategy 2.0
- Ireland was represented by Avtrain, Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport and the IAA
The EU Drone Summit 2026 took place on 9 and 10 November 2026 at the Egmont Palace in Brussels. Co-organised by the European Commission, the Ministry of Transport of Belgium and the SESAR Joint Undertaking, the high-level event gathered more than 300 representatives from EU institutions, regulatory bodies and the international drone industry.
Transport Commissioner Apostolos Tzitzikostas acknowledged that the EU’s original 2022 drone strategy has fallen short of turning research into large-scale commercial reality. In response, the European Commission promised a new Implementation Roadmap in spring 2027. Tzitzikostas highlighted three main pillars:
- Making the European single market work practically for drones.
- Accelerating routine BVLOS (Beyond Visual Line of Sight) operations in shared airspace.
- Boosting the global competitiveness of Europe’s drone manufacturing and service industry.
Day one focused on technical sessions and industry-focused workshops demonstrating research updates and real-world deployment progress. Day two centred on high-level strategic and policy discussions with key panels mapping out international competitiveness, security initiatives and policy hurdles.
The primary objective was to conduct a comprehensive stocktake of the EU Drone Strategy 2.0. Conversations covered scaling operations, industrial competitiveness, U-space and airspace integration, and security and defence. Ireland was represented by Avtrain, Dublin City Council, the Department of Transport and the Irish Aviation Authority. Key takeaways include:
- The SESAR Joint Undertaking and partner projects (such as CORUS-XUAM and U-ELCOME) showcased the fifth edition of the U-space Concept of Operations (by CORUS FIVE) and a new U-space Implementation Handbook to manage complex operations near airports and controlled airspace.
- In light of regional conflicts and security challenges (including threats around the Black Sea and drone incursions), discussions heavily emphasized dual-use technology, counter-drone systems, and learning from Ukraine’s rapid production cycle via frameworks like the EU-Ukraine Drone Alliance.
- Stakeholders like the Joint European Drone Associations (JEDA) stressed that commercial deployment support must be baked into the upcoming EU Multiannual Financial Framework (2028–2034).
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