JNS
“This is the beginning of a civic revolution that will change everyday life here,” said Innovation Minister Gila Gamliel.
Israel is set to move ahead toward a national drone-based system of commercial aerial deliveries in the coming years, led by the National Drone Initiative (NDI), the Israel Innovation Authority announced on Tuesday.
“This next stage aims to build the operational, regulatory and technological foundation required for a commercial drone services market,” the authority’s statement read.
The National Drone Initiative has carried out thousands of test flights and safety trials over the past five years, and has developed advanced airspace-management systems coupled with state regulations, the statement continued.
Israel will now shift from the individual testing stage to simulating how real drone services will operate daily in the complex environment of many operators and practical workflows.
Among the practices that will be simulated are transporting blood units from hospitals without traffic congestion, delivering take outs, municipal inspections, real-time hazard detections, security patrols and supply chain deliveries.
These will serve as field trials designed to create a full simulation of future services, the Israel Innovation Authority said.
“We are at a stage that brings Israel closer to the next generation of aerial transportation and services. This is a phase in which the industry and the state learn together what a managed and safe airspace will look like, and how companies join this infrastructure and operate within it through a continuous and supervised process,” said Dror Bin, CEO of the Israel Innovation Authority.
“We see significant potential in a variety of applications, such as early wildfire detection, identifying safety hazards at construction sites, securing critical facilities, real-time traffic monitoring, and advanced logistics solutions that will shorten delivery times and improve efficiency,” he continued.
“All of this will be made possible thanks to advanced technological infrastructure and enabling regulation. Until now, we have conducted demonstrations; now we are training for full operations that simulate continuous activity. This pilot prepares the ground for real-world deployment and teaches us how to integrate the infrastructure with private companies, hospitals and municipalities on the way to creating a new aerial environment for Israel,” Bin said.
Public and private bodies that will participate in the simulations include the cities of Rahat, Yeruham, Kfar Saba and Ra’anana, the Mishlocha food delivery app, the Benedict restaurant chain and the Rami Levy retail chain.
At sea, a model will be tested for transporting equipment to gas rigs and ships as a alternative to expensive and complex manned vessels.
The objective of the simulation is to study in-depth the potential for cost reduction and improved speed and efficiency, the authority said.
Transport Minister Miri Regev said in a statement: “The accelerated advancement of the National Drone Initiative is part of the ‘Connecting Israel’ vision. This initiative is one of the clearest expressions of the innovation revolution we are leading: in the air, at sea and on land. Expanding the initiative … positions Israel at the forefront of global innovation and gives a significant advantage to Israeli industry and to the economy as a whole.”
Innovation, Science and Technology Minister Gila Gamliel stressed, “This is not just a technological pilot, it is the beginning of a civic revolution that will change everyday life here. The National Drone Initiative marks a new stage in which Israel is not only talking about a technological future but is realizing it.
“Our vision is to lay the foundations for a world in which unmanned aircraft will integrate naturally and safely into Israel’s civilian airspace and open the door to new industries, economic opportunities and services that until now were impossible. This is a national responsibility that requires cooperation between government entities, industry and local authorities,” Gamliel said.
