The Future is Here: Inside the August 2025 Perth Drone Summit

Summary of the Drone Industry Summit 2025

The summit highlighted the rapid growth and significant investment in the drone industry, projecting an increase from about $800 million to $5.8 billion in 10 years. Serious players, including sovereign manufacturers, are looking to invest, particularly in hydrogen fuel systems for air taxis, which offer an 800 km range compared to 200 km for electric variants.

Technological advancements are a major driver, with the development of uncrewed traffic management (UTM) systems and air corridors expected in months, not years. Innovations in sensors, processors, cameras, and GPS (such as LiDAR and multispectral) are transforming industries. New DJI drones, like the T40, T50, and the recently approved T100, costing less than $50,000 (with the T50s around $40,000 and the T100 expected to be less than $50,000), are revolutionizing the agricultural industry. Powered lift drones, capable of carrying 30 kg payloads, are also creating new opportunities.

The Civil Aviation Safety Authority (CASA) is actively working to support the industry by reducing wait times, standardizing approval processes, and avoiding overregulation. Edward Morris from CASA emphasized collaboration with the industry for policy development, especially concerning large Remotely Piloted Aircraft (RPA). CASA is adjusting ground risk calculations for the Australian context as they transition from regulation 2.0 to 2.5, acknowledging that European standards are not always relevant to the Australian bush. Operators are encouraged to provide clear context for their operations to streamline the assessment process. For public complaints, CASA's jurisdiction is safety-related, requiring sufficient evidence, while privacy and noise concerns fall under other authorities. Edward Morris also noted that the "one to many" trial, which has just begun, will require robust software and potentially multiple pilots to manage issues with individual drones, but offers significant scalability for clients.

The Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS), represented by Greg Tyrrel, has introduced an industry-led accreditation program to elevate professional standards through a framework based on safety, learning, and social license. This initiative aims to foster safe and ethical drone operations, provide credibility, and potentially lead to better insurance products with lower premiums for accredited companies due to de-risking. The program is designed to complement existing standards like RPAS and can serve as a stepping stone for further accreditations.

A significant discussion revolved around sovereign manufacturing versus mass-produced drones. While the US is increasing investment, DJI still dominates with 70% of the global market, and many "sovereign" components are manufactured in China. Experts suggest that opportunities for Australian sovereign capability lie in niche markets and component manufacturing, potentially linked to defence, rather than competing directly with mass producers like DJI.

The summit showcased diverse and innovative real-world applications:

• Commercial Operations: Andrew Davies' companies (TDS Drone Solutions, TDS Labs, Prismo) highlighted custom drones like Onyx for high-wall mining inspections and Vagar for fuel reduction burning, alongside installing bird diverters on power lines and assisting with conductor stringing.

• Software and Compliance: AVCRM, a company co-founded by Chris Clark, presented its "AVCRM Connect" platform, launched in 2025 after a major rebuild and ISO 27001 certification. This platform integrates compliance with flight operations, offering live streaming and telemetry tracking for various organizations.

• Utility Operations: Aaron Dempsey from Western Power detailed how drones provide critical information for stringing replacement conductors, coating insulators with silicon, installing bird diverters, and utilizing on-site drone boxes for remote security and fault finding, significantly enhancing safety and efficiency.

• Drone-in-a-Box: Ed Boxall from Sensorem discussed their RenovoX operations, which deployed 23 SenseHub systems for 24/7 coverage, including night flights for security, wildlife deterrence, and real-time monitoring across sectors like mining, oil and gas, and agriculture. These units integrate additional components with DJI Docks to meet Australian regulations.

• Law Enforcement: Superintendent Paul Daly from WA Police Air Wing demonstrated how drones provide critical situational awareness, aid in rapid resolution, and optimize resource management, sharing compelling case studies where drone footage led to a life-saving rescue and facilitated legal proceedings against a suspect.

• Inspection and Certification: Christo Louw from Applus+ discussed best practices in photogrammetry and LiDAR for inspection, emphasizing structured data capture for predictive maintenance, operational efficiencies, and safety improvements in industrial processes.

• Agriculture and Research: Hammad Khan from the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD) showcased high-throughput phenotyping using drones equipped with various sensors (Mavic Multispectral, Phase One, GOI with Hyperspectral LRA and RGB, full scan hyperspectrum LiDAR) to drive crop innovation and sustainable agriculture through the Australian Plant Phenomics Network.

• Education: Kylie and Beth from Melville Senior High School and Squadron Leader Matthew Fletcher from the Australian Air Force Cadets illustrated how drone technology is being embedded in education, diversifying aviation programs, engaging students in STEM, and developing leadership and practical aviation skills from indoor drone flying to autonomous programming.

• Learning Platforms: Sarah Hussain from Industrial Metaverse addressed questions regarding tracking learner progress through a platform via an analytics portal, which can individualize training paths, and confirmed that the headsets for the program do not require Wi-Fi once loaded.

Panellists

The following individuals were identified as speakers and panellists at the Drone Industry Summit 2025:

• Mahmood Hussain: Host of the Global Drone Solutions Industry Summit and a speaker providing insights on industry growth and sovereign manufacturing.

• Edward Morris: From CASA's operations team, discussed regulatory aspects, approval processes, and operational trials.

• Andrew Davies: 2022 Tasmanian Entrepreneur of the Year, TEDex speaker, and founder of TDS Drone Solutions, TDS Labs, and Prismo. He presented on his companies' growth and drone applications in various sectors.

• Greg Tyrrel: From the Australian Association for Uncrewed Systems (AAUS), spoke about the AAUS accreditation program and raising industry standards.

• Chris Clark: Co-founder and CEO of AVCRM Connect, presented on the company's journey and their new compliance-to-flight operations platform.

• Aaron Dempsey: From Western Power, presented on the utility's drone applications for inspection, maintenance, and security.

• Ed Boxall: From Sensorem, presented on drone-in-a-box technology (SenseHub/RenovoX) and its applications for 24/7 operations in various industrial sectors.

• Superintendent Paul Daly: From WA Police Air Wing, shared the department's successes and lessons learned with RPAS operations for tactical advantage.

• Christo Louw: From Applus+, a partner with Global Drone Solutions, presented on best practices in photogrammetry and LiDAR for inspection.

• Kylie and Beth: From Melville Senior High School, shared their school's journey of integrating drone technology into education.

• Hammad Khan: From the Department of Primary Industries and Regional Development (DPIRD), discussed high-throughput phenotyping using drones in agricultural research.

• Matthew Fletcher: Squadron Leader, Australian Air Force Cadets, presented on the AAFC's RPA program for youth development.

• Sarah Hussain: From Industrial Metaverse, addressed questions regarding a learning platform's ability to track learner progress and its Wi-Fi requirements.

  
  
  
  

  A Summary of Drone Summit 2025 Perth Australia