Passion for
flight
The Swiss Drone Competence Center brings expertise’s in research, technology, regulation, certification and testing for drone-related business together, supporting companies and communities in adopting drones as disruptive platform for solving current and future challenges in any business fields.
The Swiss Drone Competence Center
Swiss Drone Competence Center is a hub growing research, technology, aerospace, regulatory and business know-how for communities and companies to explore, innovate and enable leading-edge drone applications and projects.
It supports the development and testing of UAS (Unmanned Aircraft System) and UAVs (Unmanned Aerial Vehicles) as well as counter-UAS and counter-UAV solutions by providing access to our wide-area controlled alpine outdoor testing environment, expert advisory services for C-class certification and for performing your risk assessment (SORA) tailored to our flight areas.
industry
Swiss
drone
1. INNOVATION & R&D
We don’t just support innovation — we drive it. Swiss Drone Competence Center actively coordinates and facilitates collaborative innovation projects between companies and universities, as well as between companies themselves.
We help turn ambitious drone ideas into real-world solutions by connecting you with leading Swiss and international research institutions, including USI, SUPSI, IDSIA, ZHAW and many more, to co-develop projects leveraging state-of-the-art know-how in AI, robotics and mechatronics.
We empower faster, smarter innovation — guiding your journey from concept to integration and full commercial operation. We offer feasibility study and independent consulting for the evaluation of drone-based solution into your business and thanks to our drone’s international industry network and academic research partners we deliver to your strategic proposals for adoption of current technologies and identification of gaps to be further investigated with the partner of your choice.
2. REAL-WORLD TESTING ENVIRONMENTS
Operate and test your UAS and UAV in safe, controlled conditions; indoor, outdoor, alpine and airport environments; with full VLOS, simulated BVLOS capabilities.
Our infrastructure includes:
- Designated airspace at Riviera airport with flight authorisation response within 24h for UAV < 25 Kg in VLOS and within 1 week for simulated BVLOS
- Operational guidance in cooperation with Swiss Federal office of civil aviation (FOCA)
- Exclusive-use control tower for drone operations
- Possibility of installing locally your operational equipment (e.g. antennas) for a prolonged testing campaign
- Dedicated runway for drone testing
- Over 200 flyable days per year, thanks to Ticino’s favourable weather conditions
- Simulated indoor testing environment
- Indoor flying area of 100 sqm equipped with precision motion capture and 3D tracking systems in Lugano (IDSIA)
3. CERTIFICATION & COMPLIANCE MADE EASY
Accelerate your go-to-market strategy.
We support:
- Support for SORA / PDRA risk assessments
- CE and EASA class C (C1–C6) certifications
- Technical validation and documentation
- Regulatory navigation with notified body partners
4. A THRIVING INDUSTRY NETWORK
Be part of Switzerland’s growing drone ecosystem.
At Swiss Drone Competence Center, you gain access to:
- High-level industry, research and institutional partners
- Community events, demos and networking workshops
- Strategic network of national and international partners
- Conference rooms, coworking spaces, laboratories and private office areas on site
Location
Swiss Drone Competence Center is headquartered in Lodrino, within Riviera airport, about 15 km north of Bellinzona.
Our unique location within a civil airport places us near aviation companies such as RUAG AG, Karen SA, Heli TV, EOS Helicopter and Air Evolution LTD, bringing together aviation and UAS expertise on the same site. The area is still under development, offering strong growth potential for future activities.
Different UAS outdoor flight areas in VLOS, with BVLOS capabilities soon to be available.
Airport runway: With a length of 773 m and a width of 40 m, the runway provides direct access for flight tests and training activities. Notably, there are no air traffic services on site, meaning that aircraft crews only transmit essential information to ensure safe and smooth operations.
Control tower equipped with air traffic integration systems and a full view of the flight zones across the airport area, ensuring situational awareness.
Shared or private office spaces, large meeting rooms for workshops and training within the control tower building, an iconic location for aviation professionals.
Warehouse space for materials, with the possibility to set up a dedicated workshop directly near the outdoor test area and the airport runway.
RESEARCH PARTNERS
At the Swiss Drone Competence Center, we thrive on collaboration and synergies with academic institutions, serving as hubs for research and education. This collaboration grants us access to a vast pool of expertise across diverse fields.
Our scientific competences exploring the realms of new drone technologies and applications, encompass:
Members
The realm of UAS and their multifaceted applications is expansive. Within Swiss Drone Competence Center, our member companies are engaged in diverse sectors, including:
Join us
Join Switzerland Innovation Park Ticino to access expertise, connect with a dynamic network and benefit from dedicated infrastructure. Accelerate your innovation.