The development of drones and their commercial use, depends for a large extent on the possibilities to test new technical and legal developments at locations where it is possible to experiment beyond the boundaries of the current legislation. These locations are referred to as test and demonstration locations.
One of the objectives of the INTERREG 2 Seas Project ICAReS (Innovation Cluster Accelerating Remote Sensing), co-funded by the European Regional Development Fund, is to make an inventory of the currently existing and planned possibilities for testing and evaluating drones in flight in 4 European countries (Belgium, France, The Netherlands & UK) and to assess the facilities offered, as well as the drone operation sectors they cater to. This initiative involves officially approved, as well as self-declared, test ranges. The first ICAReS deliverable, the Report on Existing Test & Demonstration Locations (and its annex) has been published and is now available.
UVS International is using its network to disseminate this information, and to make it known to the wider community that additional existing and planned test and demonstration ranges in Belgium, France, the Netherlands & UK can still contribute and be referenced in the project. Interested parties are to complete the ICAReS Test Center Reply Form and return it by email to pvb@uvs-international.org BEFORE 15 September 2018.
Increasing The Project’s Geographical Scope
It has been recognized that it would be of interest to the entire EU drone community, if the inventory of test and demonstration sites covering the four aforementioned countries could be built out to also include the sites in the other EU member States. Consequently, test and demonstration ranges in other EU member States are herewith also invited to contribute to producing this European directory. The interested parties are requested to complete the ICAReS Test Center Reply Form and return it by email to pvb@uvs-international.org BEFORE 31 October 2018. UVS International will compile the reply forms received and will forward them to ICAReS for integration with the data received from Belgium, France, the Netherlands & UK. The final (living) document will be made publicly available to all interested parties.
NOTE: The test and demonstration ranges contributing to creating this inventory will be invited to join and contribute to the Working Group that UVS International is putting together (with the cooperation of ICAReS) to define a community standard for operational safety rules at European test and demonstration ranges.
