Drones expected to increase Australia’s GDP by $14.5 billion

In a new report released by Deloitte, Australia’s GDP is estimated to increase by $14.5 billion thanks to the increasing usage of drones and related technologies. The increase is set to slowly happen over the next 20 years, with an estimated $9.3 billion in cost savings.

As of 2019, it is estimated that Australia’s gross domestic product (GPD) was 1.89 trillion, up around $45 billion from 2018. The added $14.5 billion will see it break the $2 trillion mark at $2.03 trillion in 2040.

The deep dive into the role drones will play in the future was requested by the Australian government. It is estimated that drones will allow for an additional 5,500 jobs each year for the next 20 years.

Deputy Prime Minister Michael McCormack shared:

There are many incredible drone opportunities already being explored or trialed that proves exactly that, such as using drones to deliver medical items in regional Australia, tracking sharks around our beaches, or mapping bushfire movements to support our valiant firefighting efforts.

Western Australia is expected to benefit the most from drones with an estimated uptake of $2.5 billion, with Brisbane following close behind at $2 billion. Brisbane is currently home to Wing Aviation’s drone delivery trials, with the rest of the state estimated uptake of $1.8 billion.

The top uses for drones are expected to be within urban/regional air mobility, e-commerce and deliveries, agriculture, construction, mining, government, defense, and recreational sectors. Defense use is expected to be the largest use case, with government services, construction, and agriculture following behind.

In agriculture, the report found using drones could support more efficient decision making to improve profitability for our farmers by decreasing planting costs by up to 85 percent, just one of many examples of how supporting the use of drone innovation and technology can continue to assist hard-working Australians.

The report continues to go deeper into the commercial uses of drones and compares fixed-wing to rotary-wing drones and the use cases they are best suited to. It further goes into the top uses for drones and looks at Amazon and Wing Aviation’s ongoing drone delivery trials.

You can read the full 70-page report to get an overall view of the current drone market and future drone market. It’s an interesting read, for sure!

Photo: Tasmanian Police