Is this the year for drone industry take off?
The sky’s the limit: Airwards — designed to recognise excellence in the drone sector — are open until 12 March 2021 FREE to enter.
I thought I should pass on the exciting news from UK drone industry association ARPAS-UK, a key supporter and partner of Airwards in their mission to recognise and champion best practice drone work around the world. The Airwards team have just announced that all submissions are now free for 20/21! Taking into consideration the budget pressures companies are facing as a result of the pandemic, they have decided to make all award entries free for their inaugural year.
So, if you have an amazing positive drone use case, get entering here: https://www.airwards.online/register
The first global awards platform recognising drone innovation.
If you have not heard about Airwards, it is about time you did. The clock is ticking for entries to the first ever comprehensive industry ‘Oscars’ established to recognise a spectrum of achievements by the drone industry. This initiative is welcomed by Graham Brown, CEO of ARPAS-UK, who has thrown the association’s weight behind the multi-sector awards, as a welcome strand to #dronesforgood and an important springboard for the industry.
“This is just the opportunity the industry needs to showcase the many positive uses of drones, ranging from COVID-19 projects and delivery of essential medical supplies worldwide to helping increase the quality of data whilst simultaneously improving speed, safety and providing cost benefits. The range of innovations and positive use case examples entered into the Airwards categories will also help spotlight the significant achievement of this exciting and dynamic industry,” he explains.
Interestingly, many players in the industry believe that the pandemic has produced a positive profile for a sector that has yet to land on a common description: Remotely Piloted Aerial Systems (RPAS), Unmanned Aerial Systems (UAS), Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAV), drone — take your pick, meanwhile it seems that many are replacing unmanned with uncrewed.
The application of drone delivery for health services worldwide and essential food supplies in hard to reach places, has in the most part overtaken the negative perception promulgated by some mainstream media. Just one example is the first African Drone and Data Academy-ADDA opened in Lilongwe, Malawi as part of efforts to promote the use of #drones in programmes and services that will impact the lives of children and young people.
This is another proof of performance and demonstration of #dronesforgood and how companies are realising the benefits that drone technologies can have on the world.
With the global industry predicted to be worth $42.8Bn by 2025 at 13.8% CAGR (The Drone Market Report 2020–2025), drones continue to transform a number of industries, from medical and agriculture to transport and construction. This unifying global awards scheme has been designed by the team behind Airwards: a not-for-profit awards platform to recognise success and best practice across drone work.
Submissions to Airwards are open until mid-March 2021, with winners announced in May. The award categories span a number of uses and sectors, including Technology, Operations, Supporting Services, specific Industries/Fields, and Giving Back, with a People’s Choice category voted for by the public. Airwards will be looking for outstanding examples where drones are leading the way in innovation, responsibility, and impactful real-world solutions.
Airwards founder, Richard Nichols, says: “What the Oscars do for film, BAFTA does for TV, and Cannes Lions do for creativity — we want to do for drones. We are on a mission to advance the drone industry by championing the broad range of applications from across the globe. 2020 proved a pivotal moment for the drone industry, so we believe the time is now for companies to come together and share their impactful drone work. Airwards was established not only as a way to bring the drone community together in one place, encouraging cross-industry collaboration, but also to raise awareness of positive drone uses with the wider public — ultimately working towards greater public acceptance of drones. We’re really looking forward to finding some incredible drone projects in our inaugural year and showcasing the inspiring stories behind them.”
Airwards Categories
As a global drone awards platform, Airwards, is open to a range of individuals and companies, including drone specialists transforming an industry, start-ups using drone technology for creative solutions, and large corporations driving innovation. Awards are grouped by discipline, with entries to the ‘Technology’, ‘Operations’, ‘Supporting Services’ and ‘Industry/Field’ categories plus ‘Giving Back’ and ‘People’s Choice’ by nomination-only and voted for by the public. For the full programme, visit the Airwards website.
Airwards Eligibility & Criteria
Entrants must successfully meet the Airwards eligibility to be able to enter, which includes relevant permits and licences for the project in the country of origin. Amongst others, the three main criteria the Airwards judges will be looking for, are:
1. Innovative: Promoting pioneering ideas successfully challenging what a drone is / can be.
2. Responsible: Recognising the key aspect of safety in every drone flight to advocate legitimate behaviour as a standard best practice.
3. Real-world: Asking the question: ‘How are drones making a difference?’ by demonstrating quantifiable outcomes and tangible solutions.
Full Airwards category list
Technology
● Counter Drone Systems (Anti-Drones)
● Sensors and Payload
● Software — Captured data management and analysis
● Software — Enabling flight and operational management
Operations
● Airspace Management
● Delivery
● Survey and Inspection
Supporting Services
● Consultancy
● Insurance and Financing
● Repair and Maintenance
● Training and Certification
Industry/Field
● Agriculture
● Construction and Planning
● Defence, Security and Surveillance
● Energy
● Media, Events and Creative
● Medical and Healthcare
● Transport
Giving Back
● Conservation and Environment
● Education and Research
● Emergency Response and SAR
● Humanitarian Aid and Disaster Relief
● Public Safety
People’s Choice
● Organisation — External Advocate
● Organisation — Start-up
● Organisation — SME
● Organisation — Enterprise
● Person — Rising Star
● Person — Industry Impactor
● Person — Disruptor
Airwards launched in 2020 in association with ARPAS-UK, the not-for-profit trade association for the UK drone industry. The stellar line-up of judges has been published on the Airwards website. Entrants will have until 12 March 2021 to submit, with winners announced late May 2021. For more details on entering, eligibility, pricing, judging criteria and FAQs, visit www.airwards.online.
Follow Airwards on:
Twitter: @Airwards_
LinkedIn: @Airwards
Facebook: @Airwards
Instagram: @_airwards
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