DroneUp makes move to expand booming US activity to Europe

Drone delivery and services provider DroneUp is moving to use the momentum of its swiftly growing US operations to expand to Europe, where it will develop new business across the continent from a base in Poland.

Leading DroneUp’s new push in Europe is Sebastian Babiarz, a 20-year veteran of drone and telecoms activity. He will oversee the company’s technology, regulation, safety, and new business development in a zone that has thus far approached UAV services in a different manner than the US has. The latter has been driven by aerial service providers prioritizing rapid scaling of operations – especially in the delivery sub-sector. The former, by contrast, has progressed more gradually as regulators define EU-wide rules and support the creation of uncrewed traffic management (UTM) systems.

Read: Walmart expands drone deliveries to 4 million potential households 

DroneUp believes Europe is now close to undertaking more pronounced scaling of drone traffic and commercial activity. Consequently, it’s moving to transplant its US experience – including its delivery work with Walmart covering a potential 4 million households – to the EU.

“DroneUp has accomplished tremendous results over the past few years, and I couldn’t be more excited to join the organization as it looks to bring more exposure and validity to commercial drone services across Europe,” said Babiarz. “DroneUp has proven know-how and ability to tackle the work that needs to be done when it comes to local commercial drone services… I look forward to helping DroneUp prove widespread scale is capable of drone delivery and services. DroneUp’s focus and attention to safety, technology, and the preparation of its flight teams is something that attracted me. I look forward to bringing these operations to the European market that has been focused on its regulatory needs.”

In addition to having overseen drone development at Finnish telecom giant Nokia, Babiarz brings a well-developed UAV background to DroneUp’s enlargement in Europe. He joined the company when it acquired aerial management and UTM firm AirMap in 2021. He then went on to serve as chief operating officer at Dronehub, its drone-in-a-box provider for automated monitoring and data collection.

DroneUp says a key part of its expansion will be to continue the development and marketing of its UTM systems in Europe’s drone space. Doing so will act as a source of business activity on its own, as well as a navigational and safety service allowing other UAV companies to begin rapidly scaling their operations.

“I couldn’t be more excited to have Seb join our team,” said Andy Thurling, vice president of airspace innovation at DroneUp. “Seb not only brings two decades of experience to our team but a true passion to align the right products, technologies, and systems to deliver on what our customers are asking for today. I look forward to partnering closely with him as we expand our reach and ability across the European market.”