Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College Releases Comprehensive Analysis of Rapidly Growing U.S. Commercial Drone Services Industry
 

ANNANDALE-ON-HUDSON, N.Y.–– As the domestic drone industry in the United States continues to grow, stakeholders are increasingly looking for reliable sources of data on which to build policies and strategies to sustain and manage the sector through what continues to be an uncertain and complex regulatory and economic climate. A new study released today by The Center for the Study of the Drone at Bard College provides a comprehensive analysis of the U.S. commercial drone services industry by examining nearly 3,000 Federal Aviation Administration non-recreational drone use permits known as Section 333 exemptions. “Analysis of U.S. Drone Exemptions 2014–15” presents a variety of significant data-driven conclusions about the contours of the evolving industry landscape. The report is available for free online at dronecenter.bard.edu/analysis-US-drone-exemptions-14-15.
 
“When it comes to the drone industry, the combination of a rapidly evolving technology with a complex rule-making process means that there is a great deal of uncertainty around even the near-term future of this sector,” said Arthur Holland Michel, codirector of the Center for the Study of the Drone and an author of the report. “There is no better source of data to cut through that uncertainty than the FAA’s Section 333 exemptions. We have built a singular database that tracks these exemptions. Our analysis of this data will serve as an accessible go-to reference on the key features of this emerging industry.”
 
The report, part of the Center’s ongoing initiative to track the emerging drone industry in the United States, analyzes Section 333 data by geographical spread, unmanned aircraft type, exemption-granting rate, and intended commercial operations. Among other key findings, the authors have identified significant growth in the total number of different intended drone operations proposed by each commercial drone user, and a decline in the number of companies and individuals planning to use their drones for a single narrow purpose. The authors found a significant increase in the number of entities proposing to use drones for emergency services operations, and identified agriculture as a category that has lagged notably compared to forecasts for the sector. The report identifies Florida and Colorado as the most highly represented states in the drone industry relative to their share of the national population. “Our findings suggest a whole range of potentially fruitful avenues for further inquiry and present a number of intriguing questions with significant implications for the drone industry,” said Holland Michel.
 
Founded in 2012, the Center for the Study of the Drone is a research and education initiative that looks to expand the public’s understanding of the opportunities and challenges associated with the development and proliferation of unmanned technologies. The Center creates inquiry-driven content on unmanned technologies and their impact in both military and civilian spheres for stakeholders and the public at large. For more information, visit dronecenter.bard.edu or e-mail [email protected].(3.15.16)
 

This event was last updated on 03-16-2016

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