Strategic Intelligence: Drones

Uncrewed aerial vehicles-also known as UAVs or, more commonly, drones - have been around for decades, but with innovations and rising investments, their popularity has grown significantly in recent years.

Key Highlights

• According to the analyst forecasts, the global drones market will reach $89.8 billion by 2030, up from $32.2 billion in 2024. Revenue from commercial drones will surpass military sales in 2025, driven by favorable regulations and an increase in beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) operations.
• Businesses' use of drones, specifically in the construction and agriculture industries, will continue to increase over the next five years. Drones are already proving beneficial for surveying, inspection, and crop spraying. Logistics is another sector that will also grow in the coming years as more companies use drones for last-mile and middle-mile delivery.
• However, growth will depend on cohesive and favorable regulation globally. Drone deliveries, for instance, will continue to be limited not just by payload and battery life but also by patchwork regulation.

Scope

• This report provides an overview of the drones theme.
• It identifies the key trends impacting growth of the theme over the next 12 to 24 months, split into three categories: technology trends, macroeconomic trends, and regulatory trends.
• It includes global market forecasts for the drones industry across three categories: consumer, commercial, and military.
• It contains a timeline highlighting milestones in the development of drones.
• The detailed value chain consists of four layers: hardware, software, services, and end-user.

Reasons to Buy

• The speed of the transition of drones from war zones to retail stores has been phenomenal, especially given the negative associations and misconceptions surrounding them.
• The ability to collate sensor-generated data with powerful analytical tools presents a wide range of potential commercial and industrial applications, from optimizing work processes to reducing expenditure on tedious manual tasks. At the consumer level, drones are becoming capable of self-navigation and obstacle detection, and drone racing is gaining prominence worldwide.
• This report provides an invaluable guide to this disruptive theme. It includes comprehensive lists of the leading players across all aspects of the value chain, helping companies identify the right partners.