The European Innovation Council (EIC) Drone Day will take place on Tuesday, 16 September 2025, from 10.00 – 17.00 at the Mont des Arts in Brussels.

This event will showcase innovative companies supported by the EIC from across Europe, alongside institutional exhibitors, highlighting cutting-edge drone technologies and their diverse applications. Through exploring the exhibition, interacting with exhibitors, and experiencing live drone demonstrations, the EIC Drone Day will provide a unique opportunity for the public to discover Europe’s latest multi-use drone innovations.

European Commissioner for Startups, Research and Innovation Ekaterina Zaharieva, Mayor of Brussels Philippe Close, and Belgian Minister of Mobility, Climate and Ecological Transition Jean-Luc Crucke will open the EIC Drone Day with remarks at 13.00.

Following the outdoor exhibition on 16 September, the drones will remain on static display from 17–19 September at the Berlaymont building of the European Commission.

The European Innovation Council (EIC), is organising the Drone Day (a satellite event to European Commission’s Research & Innovation Days on 16–17 Sept ’25 at The Square, Brussels) with various partners to show the advances in European drone technology and it’s varies practical uses. Furthermore, it aims to address the importance of coordinated efforts to facilitate market entry for drone companies, a clear and harmonised framework for operations as well as maintaining a high standard of safety for the benefits of European citizens and industries.

This event is open to the public and does not require prior registration.

 

EIC beneficiaries

 

Skypuzzler is a Danish deep tech company enabling safe, scalable drone operations in Europe. Its Integrated Digital Air Traffic Control (iDATC) provides real-time strategic and tactical Conflict Resolution Services (CRS) and clear flight paths via software-to-software communication without extra equipment to be installed on the drone. iDATC supports one-pilot-to-many-drones operations and helps manage growing airspace complexity, aligning with the objectives of the EU Drone Strategy 2.0 and U-space Regulation for digital, safe, and sustainable drone integration.

 

AirForestry is a Swedish company that has developed a unique method for thinning forests using electric harvesting drones. Their technology allows for the selective removal of trees from the air, eliminating the need for heavy, diesel-powered machinery on the ground. This approach reduces carbon emissions, minimizes damage to the forest floor and surrounding trees, and helps to increase the forest’s ability to sequester carbon. The company aims to make forestry more sustainable and productive.

 

From detection to elimination, PATS supports your full pest control workflow! Insects identified as pests are set as targets for our PATS-X bat-like drones. The drones are controlled by the camera system, and steered into the insects’ flight path. The propellers kill the pest on impact. -Our autonomous insect control system is a fast and pesticide-free way to stop pest reproduction at the vector. And the drones are small enough to fit in the palm of your hand! -Each system is connected to our dashboard, so we can provide you with daily data on pest activity and development.

 

Reblade – all existing repair solutions use a vertically positioned blade due to rope-hanging robots or workers. The proposed solution for fast repairs of leading edge erosion is based on a first-ever approach, where a drone lands on a horisontally positioned blade. This approach eliminates both the time-consuming rope-access requirement and associated fall risks from manual repairs entirely. Being able to apply the new generation of leading edge protection, will catapult the present state-of-the-art of blade protection, enabling upgraded blades to generate energy with 10% higher output and efficiency. In addition, the application of leading edge protection by our technology, will yield an automatic, fast, uniform, controlled, and documented quality, which has been well received by key market partners in demonstrations. Our drone is targeted to repair at higher wind speeds than is realistic with existing market solutions, and is well-suited for both existing and future wind turbines.

 

Dronamics is the world’s first cargo drone airline and the first with a license to operate in Europe. We design, build and operate long-range, high payload drones built specifically for cargo. Our remotely-piloted aircraft is designed specifically for cargo, can carry payload similar to that of a mini van (350 kg or 3.5 cubic meters) and has a range of 2,500 km, making the only civilian drone that can cross Europe in one flight.

 

XSun is creating new types of autonomous solar flying machines. Coming from aerospace technologies, these machines open new horizons for terrestrial and maritime aerial applications. The machines are highly reliable, highly autonomous and 100% ecological. XSun’s mission to show that sustainability and high performances are compatible.

 

Wingtra develops professional drones that capture aerial survey data in hours instead of days, enabling faster infrastructure development across Europe. Our solutions help build roads, monitor environments, and plan cities with accurate 2D and 3D maps. With 1,500+ organizations globally trusting our Swiss-engineered, EASA-compliant drones, we’ve completed 300’000+ flights, saving 80% in survey costs. Yet fragmented EU regulations create barriers: non-harmonized rule interpretation force operators to use less efficient drones, slowing Europe’s infrastructure modernization.

SKYRIPER is a Ukrainian company of unmanned systems developers. They develop and manufacture innovative, battle-tested, NATO Class I tactical UAVs with advanced AI and electronic warfare capabilities that protect soldiers and enhance battlefield effectiveness.

 

Institutions

 

The European Defence Agency (EDA), established in 2004, facilitates defense collaboration among its 27 member states. The primary goal of the EDA is to help these nations develop their military resources. The agency supports its members by promoting cooperation, launching new initiatives, and introducing solutions to improve defense capabilities. The EDA is a key player in the development of policies and strategies for European defense. The EDA’s core mission is to assist the Council and the Member States in their efforts to enhance the EU’s defense capabilities in crisis management and to support the Common Security and Defence Policy. The agency achieves this by identifying and promoting collaborative opportunities in areas such as research and technology, armaments, and defense industry. The EDA also provides a framework for European defense cooperation, which helps to ensure that the development of military capabilities is coherent and effective.

 

The Directorate-General for Defence Industry and Space (DG-DEFIS) pursues the European Commission’s mission to elevate the competitiveness and innovation of the European Defence industry. We are committed to building a robust European defence technological and industrial base by strategically investing in defence supply chains, with a focus on empowering small and medium-sized enterprises (SMEs). By facilitating cross-border collaborations and common defence procurement through initiatives like the European Defence Fund (EDF), the European Defence Industry Programme (EDIP), and the Security Action for Europe (SAFE) mechanism, we are paving the way for European defence readiness by 2030: spending more, spending better, and spending together. Our efforts are underpinned by the strategic vision formulated in the White Paper for European Defence and enhanced through synergies with the Space sector, placed under the mandate of Commissioner Andrius Kubilius.

 

The European Union Aviation Safety Agency (EASA) is the EU’s central authority for civil aviation safety, responsible for developing safety and environmental protection rules, certifying aircraft and organizations, and overseeing their uniform implementation across EU member states and EFTA countries. Headquartered in Cologne, Germany, EASA’s mission is to ensure the highest common level of safety protection for European citizens by promoting and enforcing strict safety standards in aviation.

 

CINEA is the Executive Agency established by the European Commission to implement EU funding programmes for transport, energy, climate action, environment and maritime fisheries and aquaculture.

 

The SESAR Joint Undertaking is an institutionalised European partnership between private and public sector partners set up to accelerate through research and innovation the delivery of the Digital European Sky. To do so, it is harnessing developing and accelerating the take-up of the most cutting-edge technological solutions to manage conventional aircraft, drones, air taxis and vehicles flying at higher altitudes.

 

Eurocontrol supports European aviation by delivering technical excellence and civil-military expertise across the full spectrum of air traffic management. Its activities cover operations, service provision, concept development, innovation, Europe-wide project implementation, performance improvements, and coordination with key stakeholders, while also addressing industry challenges and contributing to the future evolution and strategic orientation of aviation.

 

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