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Westcott Drone Test & Development Centre (DTDC) Expands for UK Drone Innovation

The Westcott Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC), launched in 2023 by the Satellite Applications Catapult, is undergoing a significant upgrade to enhance its capacity and capabilities.

These improvements will enable drone companies to test their products and solutions at earlier stages of development within a safe and controlled environment.

Backed by £1.4 million in funding from the Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) – now managed by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board – the upgrades will allow the DTDC to support a wider range of drone companies and accelerate the market readiness of innovative solutions.

The expansion reflects the increasing demand for drone operations, supporting both UK and global flight operations. As part of Westcott’s commitment to innovation, the DTDC aims to develop world-class drone services and reinforce Buckinghamshire’s position as a leader in drone and space technology.

Key Facility Upgrades Include

Drone cage flight enclosure
Tethered drone testing area
Multipurpose drone platform
Expanded workshop spaces
Sensor test ranges
Drone Training Academy

Buckinghamshire Council Leader Martin Tett highlighted the centre’s role in shaping the future of private and commercial aviation, reinforcing the county’s position as a global hub for drone technology. Richard Lowe, Chief Technology Officer of Satellite Applications Catapult, emphasised that the upgrades would provide additional support for companies developing next-generation drone technology, particularly in safe testing environments.

Located on a former RAF base, the DTDC offers a 270m runway, four landing pads for vertical, or vertical to horizontal take-off, and multiple real-world flying areas. Future developments include the integration of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities, further advancing the UK’s drone ecosystem.

Read more here on DTDC’s news here

28 February 2025

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GEO Business 2025: Network, Exhibit & Speak at the UK’s Geospatial Event – 4-5 June

Mark your calendars! GEO Business 2025 is returning on 4-5 June 2025 at ExCeL London, bringing together 4300+ visitors and professionals from across the geospatial sector. This key industry event is an opportunity to explore the latest innovations, engage with sector leaders, and gain valuable insights into the evolving landscape of geospatial technology and services.

With a strong focus on practical applications and real-world case studies, GEO Business provides an excellent platform for knowledge sharing, networking, and business development.

Come Say ‘Hello’ at Stand G90 – It’ll be great to see you!

ARPAS-UK will be at Stand G90 this year, where we’ll be on hand to discuss our work supporting the commercial drone industry. We welcome members, partners, and professionals to visit us, learn more about our work, and explore how we can collaborate to help advance the industry.

Why Attend GEO Business 2025?

GEO Business is more than just an event – it’s a focal point for professionals working with geospatial data, technology, and solutions. Whether you’re attending, speaking, or exhibiting, this is an opportunity to stay informed, make connections, and position yourself at the forefront of industry advancements.

Speak at GEO Business 2025?

How about speaking at this year’s GEO Business? We’re encouraging our members to apply to take part. This is a great opportunity to share knowledge, showcase innovations, gain further exposure of your work and engage with a wider professional audience.

Speaking proposals must be submitted by 28 February – for a list of Topics of Interest and to submit your proposal, click here to read more on Speaking at GEO Business

Thinking About Exhibiting?

For businesses looking to expand their reach, exhibiting at GEO Business offers direct access to industry leaders, potential clients, and key decision-makers. This is a great way to highlight your products and services to an engaged audience.

Find out more about exhibiting here: Exhibit at GEO Business

We look forward to seeing you there!

Find out about more Trade Shows & Events taking place this year
See Our 2025 list here – Members Only Access

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Focus Group – Help Shape the Future of Drone Innovation with The Structural Battery Company – 11 Feb at 1pm

Focus Group Details
Format: Virtual
Duration: 90 minutes
Date & Time: 11th Feb – 1pm-2.30pm

At The Structural Battery Company, an ARPAS-UK member, innovation is at the heart of their mission. They’re developing a revolutionary technology: a structural battery for drones. This solution integrates energy storage directly into the drone’s frame, which the team promotes as a lighter, stronger, and safer alternative to traditional designs.

To ensure this innovation, known as the Drone Spine, meets the real-world needs of drone manufacturers and operators, The Structural Battery Company is calling for participants to join their customer Focus Group.

Why Join the Focus Group?

Your expertise and insights could play a pivotal role in shaping a scalable energy solution that not only powers drones but enhances their structural performance. By participating, you’ll have the opportunity to:

Influence the development of state-of-the-art drone technology tailored to your needs.
Gain early insights into the innovative structural battery system.
Support a startup at the forefront of drone innovation.

This is an opportunity to collaborate and support a technology set to transform the drone sector.

Interested in taking part? Get in touch using the link below

Help Shape the Future of Drone Innovation – Join the Structural Battery Company Focus Group

Join the Focus Group

30 January 2025

The Structural Battery Company website

Read more Opportunities here

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Sky’s the Limit: Revolutionising Business with Drone Technology: Podcast

Join Elliott Parnham and Jonathan Howl, Host of the Green Business Podcast, as Elliott shares his insights on how drones are transforming business operations across various sectors.

Innovative Drone Technology: Elliot Parnham, Founder of Skyfarer, discusses how drones are transforming business operations, from logistics to infrastructure inspection.

Sustainability Benefits: The episode highlights the environmental advantages of using drones, such as reducing carbon footprints and enhancing efficiency

Challenges and Solutions: Elliot shares insights on overcoming regulatory, technological, and operational hurdles in adopting drone technology

Future Potential: The conversation explores the latest advancements and the promising future of drones in various industries

Sounds like an exciting episode! 🚀

Listen to the Podcast

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Drone Specialist COPTRZ working with BT on their drone strategy

Drone Specialist COPTRZ working with BT on their drone strategy

BT is pushing ahead with its adoption of drone technology and the training of its people. This is where COPTRZ came in.

As a leading CAA registered RAE’s (Recognised Assessment Entities), BT chose COPTRZ for their
capability to provide not only drone pilot training but also additional bespoke wraparound training solutions.

In addition, COPTRZ have supplied state-of-the-art and drone technology from a number of different
manufacturers with a range of models for different tasks encountered.

COPTRZ initially curated a bespoke training week for a number of trainee pilots at BT’s site in Hereford.
After an intensive week, 10 students successfully graduated as pilots with a number of recommendations
that soon followed.

Richard Coles, BT Drone Solutions Field Systems Manager, said “Coptrz provided us with great expertise in our GVC training and procurement of Drones. They have a great team and give huge amounts of support where needed, we look forward to continuing working with them in the future”

Co-founder of COPTRZ, Steve Coulson commented – “We are excited and proud to work with BT as an
organisation looking to benefit from the huge advantages drone technology brings. We look forward to continuing to support BT with ongoing training and technology”

COPTRZ are a UK-based drone solutions provider for organisations wishing to adopt drone technology and the benefits it brings in terms of productivity, safety and cost savings. This ranges across, airframes, payloads, software, peripherals and training.

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Use of Drone Technology for Precision Spraying

Are you looking to bring your agriculture technology to the market? A policy maker looking to make change within the agriculture industry? Or simply interested in how drones can automate processes across different sectors?

Current uses for drones in agriculture include surveying and mapping, crop health monitoring and disease detection.

Automated disease detection, spraying and automated drones that are housed on-farm are expected to become feasible services over the next decade.

So how do we make this happen? Join Agri-EPI in collaboration with Connected Places Catapult as part of their Drone Pathfinder Programme, where we explore the use of drone technology in precision spraying.

We will be having a series of presentations, a live Q&A followed by a networking session.

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Commercial UAV Expo

Commercial UAV Expo Americas is North America’s leading trade show and conference focusing on the integration and operation of commercial UAS. Industries covered include Construction; Drone Delivery; Energy & Utilities; Forestry & Agriculture; Infrastructure & Transportation; Mining & Aggregates; Public Safety & Emergency Services; Security; and Surveying & Mapping.