companies and centres of excellence

“The drone industry is a rapidly evolving world where technology, applications and legislation can take very different forms in just a few months. This makes the drone market an exciting challenge that expects an organic approach from us. As simulator developers, we make products that not only target that market, but also help shape the market. After all, we know that new pilots are born in simulators. In view of the further growth of the market and our products, we were thrilled to be able to share our future plans with the students of Drones Business Architect. Their fresh look at our story helps us to further shape those plans. At the same time, it allows us to engage students in a real and relevant business story that makes them think about all aspects of a business plan. We experience this as an exciting collaboration where all parties involved can learn from each other.“

CHRISTOPHE BRUYNSERAEDE

“As a strategic research centre for the manufacturing industry, Flanders Make stimulates open innovation through high-quality research and works with companies on a tailor-made innovation. However, this almost always happens from a concrete technological question, is viewed with technological glasses on, and results in a technological solution. It was therefore refreshing for us – engineers and scientists – to let the students develop a business case for one of our technological innovations and thus broaden our horizons to business needs that our business partners encounter. The development project developed by the students for a technological challenge detected in their business plan can also form the basis of a future innovation project for us. I therefore expect that in the near future we will certainly be appealing to the students of the Drone Business Architect programme.”

Tom Snyers

“skeyes fully believes in the drone sector and from our expertise in air traffic safety we would like to contribute to its safe deployment. The students, together with skeyes, are thinking about how drones improve our business processes and the processes of our important partners, such as the Belgian airports. Can the inspections of the runways at a busy airport soon be carried out with an intelligent drone? An important challenge here is to ensure the safety of manned aircraft at all times. In this way, we want future drone business architects to take into account the safety risks from the design phase of a drone business case. Cooperation with knowledge institutions also provides new insights that will improve the entire ecosystem in the long term.”

Thomas Petracca

“The vision of students with a passion & already strong knowledge about drone technologies gives a fresh and creative perspective from a different perspective. That’s why we thought this was a unique opportunity to have our business case of EIDs worked out. After 2 weeks, we were already convinced that their insights and reports were of such high quality that we included them directly within our strategic plan for the roll-out of the new product. Today, at the end of the training, our cooperation has brought this project forward by at least 2 months and we are ready the next phase. As a start-up company we can certainly recommend this concept, it gives a fresh look at a strategic vision and the professional guidance of students by different SME gives them already a huge baggage and background with enormous added value.”

Frank Vanwelkenhuyzen

“The development of new unmanned technologies is much more efficient when you have an overview of all available knowledge. That’s why it’s important that there are initiatives like the Drone Business School that allows pioneers in the drone industry to launch their ideas with a head start, to put together a logical business model and at the same time realize an added market value to give their business a healthy foundation.”

BJORN GEUNS

“The entertainment industry is always looking for new elements to take shows to unprecedented heights. For several years now we have seen a sharp increase in the use of drones in all kinds of events and shows. Within Flanders and by extension Europe, this is now limited to outdoor shows by a handful of companies. With Project Willow we are working on an out-of-the-box solution for indoor shows. Together with the students, we have been further expanding the business plan in recent months. This collaboration has led to many new insights that will eventually lead to a better product. We were impressed by the knowledge and skills of the students and will continue to market this project with a few of them. We look forward to shaping new projects with the following students.”