The Polish Air Navigation Services Agency has launched 10 Local Centres of Excellence for Unmanned Aerial Vehicles, in line with previously adopted guidelines, providing a massive boost to the development of the Polish UAV market. These centres are designated operational areas within Polish airspace, equipped with digital solutions, tracking infrastructure and procedures designed to enable the preparation and execution of more advanced drone flights. The aim of the Local Competence Centres is to significantly develop Poland’s drone capabilities.
The 10 Local UAV Competence Centres cover various regions of Poland. The project, worth PLN 84 million and funded entirely from the National Recovery Plan, is intended to improve the availability of infrastructure and services for the drone industry and to support the digital development of the Polish economy. At the Local Competence Centres, it will be easier to carry out BVLOS (beyond visual line of sight) operations, longer-distance flights and tests of heavy UAVs.
The project is aimed at:
- manufacturers of drones and components;
- UAV operators;
- technology integrators;
- companies developing sensors, connectivity, AI and autonomous systems;
- academic institutions and research institutes;
- local authorities;
- emergency and uniformed services;
- critical infrastructure operators;
- logistics, rail, energy and industrial companies;
- technology end-users who wish to see a solution in practice before purchasing.
Local UAV Competence Centres are strictly defined operational areas within Polish airspace that combine several key elements:
- airspace, i.e. geographical zones organised for planned operations;
- digital systems supporting flight planning and coordination (including via the PANSA DroneTower app);
- over 100 tracking infrastructure points, enabling the creation of a traffic picture;
- 11 Drone Points, i.e. safe landing sites for UAVs.
DroneTower is used to:
- notify the Polish Air Navigation Services Agency of the intention to operate a UAV flight in Polish airspace;
- coordinate flights;
- non-verbal two-way communication between air traffic services (ATS) and the drone pilot;
- visualisation of and access to geographical zones, updated as data on the use of airspace (AUP/UUP) becomes available;
- visualisation of access to aeronautical data contained in NOTAMs;
- notifying other drone pilots of UAV flights;
- providing information on the possibility of conducting a UAV flight anywhere in Poland via a user-friendly communication platform.
The tracking infrastructure will be used to obtain information on vehicle movements in the areas covered by the Centres. ADS-B and Remote-ID receivers have been installed at each of the 10 Control Centres. The project also includes tools for managing the tracking infrastructure and digital solutions to support flight planning and coordination. All this is aimed at building a more comprehensive picture of drone operations and ensuring their safe coordination.
In practice, tracking is intended to support:
- situational awareness;
- monitoring of traffic within the CC’s area of operation;
- monitoring the progress of operations;
- verification that a flight is proceeding according to plan;
- documentation of tests;
- the development of further digital services;
- enhancing the safety of coexistence between different users of airspace.
Drone Points are designated and suitably prepared locations enabling the safe landing of UAVs. The most important aspect of the project is their function as locations for:
- planned take-off or landing, depending on local conditions;
- a safe completion of operations;
- an emergency landing in case of a technical, weather-related or operational problem;
- a support point for longer routes and flights beyond the operator’s line of sight.
Drone Points form part of the operational safety system. If a UAV operation is interrupted or a technical problem arises, the vehicle will not have to land in a random location but at a pre-designated landing point.
The main objective of the Centres is to create a comprehensive framework to support the Polish drone industry. Companies often lack suitable flight areas, technical facilities, tracking infrastructure and a suitable environment for demonstrations to investors or clients. The Local Competence Centres will fulfil all these requirements, meaning that companies, rather than having to build every element themselves, will be able to make use of the existing PANSA system and local partners.
It is also very important to enhance the safety of UAV operations carried out at the Centres through better flight planning, the use of digital spatial data, coordination of operations, the opportunity to test procedures prior to implementation, practical training, documentation of the course of operations, and a gradual increase in the complexity of tests.
The establishment of the Centres would not have been possible without the leading role played by local government bodies, with which PANSA has concluded cooperation agreements or memoranda of understanding. These local government bodies will act as local project partners. Their tasks include supporting the use of the infrastructure, engaging businesses, academic institutions and other organisations, identifying the needs of residents and the local economy, assisting in developing the specialisation of a given Centre, and participating in educational, public and demonstration projects.
