European companies test future drone services in Arctic conditions

“The presence of several companies on site created a clear ecosystem effect. Informal exchanges and shared observations led to new technical and business insights, as well as a broader understanding of how different solutions address common challenges within the drone industry,” says Hafeez Chaudhary, co-founder and CEO of the Belgian company Agilica.

Stress testing in demanding environments

Agilica develops technology that enables drones to navigate and land safely even in environments where GPS does not work. The solution can be used both indoors in urban environments and at sea, for example on moving vessels where precise positioning would otherwise be difficult.

During the days at Skellefteå Droneport, the focus was on testing drone landings on a moving vehicle, as well as system accuracy and robustness in Arctic conditions.

“In addition to the planned tests, we were also able to carry out scenarios based on insights gained on site. The environment allowed us to meaningfully stress test both hardware robustness and overall system performance,” says Hafeez Chaudhary.

A credible test environment for complex airspace

The Italian company STRADAai develops digital solutions for the low altitude airspace in compliance aviation regulation to managing drone traffic over municipalities, infrastructure, and major events.

STRADAai is currently supporting the Niguarda Hospital on airspace design for the Winter Olympics in Italy in 2026. The goal is to enable safe drone operations in complex airspace where many actors need to operate simultaneously.

During the visit in Skellefteå, the company connected its system to the Skellefteå Droneport test environment to verify functions and flight scenarios. All the planned tests were successfully completed.

“The Arctic conditions are challenging and highly relevant. The operational setup is flexible and the team on site was supportive and pragmatic. Altogether, this enabled real operations rather than staged demonstrations.The Arctic Aviation Hub itself stands out as an impressive piece of infrastructure, providing a professional, well-equipped environment ideally suited for rigorous testing and validation”, says Giulio Segurini, founder and CEO of STRADAai.

Sees potential for future testing

Both international companies are positive about returning to Skellefteå Droneport for future testing. Giulio Segurini highlights the opportunity to conduct real operations with multiple actors under challenging environmental conditions.

“Combined with available airspace and a team focused on enabling testing, we would definitely consider returning, especially for more advanced testing within so called U–space, meaning digital systems for managing drone traffic with multiple operators.”

Hafeez Chaudhary emphasises the combination of real-world conditions and professional infrastructure.

“A strong local ecosystem and above all the open and collaborative atmosphere make Skellefteå Droneport a unique and valuable test site. We will definitely return in the future as we continue to expand our technical solutions.”

Scheduled follow-up meetings

The Swedish company Remote Aero participated to test its technology for rapid situational awareness during emergency response operations. The company has developed a system in which lightweight fixed wing drones can be operated remotely and transmit live video over mobile networks.

The service makes it possible to receive images and video from a location without the pilot being on site, which is particularly valuable in sparsely populated areas with long distances.

“We connected with several representatives from local companies, government and municipality, and we already have follow-up meetings booked for further collaboration,” says Alexander Sandström at Remote Aero.

The Swedish company Imitera also took part in the test days. The company works with virtual environments using VR and AR. Through digital experiences that feel realistic, they enable training, education and the presentation of ideas or products in a safe and efficient way without the need to be physically present in real environments.