The Polish Center for Certification and improvement of Unmanned Systems, besides called Drone Valley, is to be established in the municipality of Tuszów Narodowy in Podkarpacie. The cost of the investment, which will be realised by the local government of Podkarpackie Voivodeship, was estimated at PLN 135 million, and the completion of the construction was planned for 2029.
The details of the task during the press conference were discussed by Małgorzata Jarosińska- Jedynak, associate of the board of the Podkarpackie Voivodeship. As she stressed, Dronowa Valley is to be the first centre of this kind not only in Poland, but besides throughout the European Union. The centre is intended to let comprehensive certification of unmanned systems in classes C0 to C6 (light devices not requiring pilot licences and the most advanced, operating out of pilot's sight), both with civil and military applications.
– The facility will receive accreditation of the Polish Accreditation Centre and notification of the president of the civilian Aviation Authority – announced Jarosińska- Jedynak. For the creation of the Valley, local government and manufacture and technological environments have been preparing for respective years.
Science and business join forces
Research facilities are to be established for 13 hectares in Tuszów National, including a building with a flight control tower, hangar and 2 runways intended for unmanned testing. The investment is not a typical production facility – it is intended primarily for testing, investigating and certification of unmanned systems. The centre will carry out tests that meet cybersecurity and interoperability requirements, and certified platforms there will be able to get flight privileges.
The task will be implemented with the support of EU funds. According to the announcement of the local government, between 8 and 10 million euro is to come from the European Funds for Podkarpacie 2021–2027 programme.
The key partners of the task are technological and industrial environments. The Rzeszów University of Technology and the Cluster of Unmanned Systems were included in cooperation with Dronowa Valley. The university has already signed an agreement to fund the construction of the Unmanned Air Systems investigation Centre. The task worth about PLN 8 million is intended to constitute the technological pillar of the future centre.
The initiators of the task emphasize that Drone Valley is to integrate technology development, science, business and start-ups. According to Aneta Łobodzińska, president of the discipline and Technology Centre for Unmanned Systems and Cluster coordinator, the task is besides being implemented by experts co-founding a akin initiative in Nevada, USA. – We want to combine all active in the widely understood drone industry. We are open to students and private and public entities – said Łobodzińska.
Dron legislature in Jasionka
The Marshal of the voivodship and the task partners emphasize that Dronowa Valley is part of a broader strategy for the improvement of modern technologies in Podkarpacie. According to representatives of the local government, the investment can contribute to the construction of networks of institutions, companies and investigation centres in the region, which will work to make and commercialise fresh technologies and increase the competitiveness of the Polish unmanned manufacture in European markets.
The regional authorities besides point to the crucial possible of this task in the context of safety and crisis response, due to the fact that Unmanned technologies are increasingly used e.g. in emergency services or monitoring tasks.
According to the announcements of the local government, intensive discussions are already underway with the Municipality of Tuszów National on the acquisition of land for investment and finalisation of the contract, and public consultations with the local community are being conducted. The current work besides concerns infrastructure preparation and plan documentation.
Organizers besides announce manufacture events. 1 of them is simply a drone convention planned at the end of September this year in Podrzeszow Jasionka. The gathering is to gather experts and representatives of discipline and business related to unmanned technologies.
