The civilian drone market - France

Drones are unmanned aircraft with automatic or remote control piloting. Drones can be used for civilian or military purposes. This study deals only with civilian drones. In the civilian sector, two types of use can be distinguished: so-called "leisure" use, and professional use. In fact, drones can be used for a wide variety of applications, such as aerial photography for the media, surveillance and civil security, infrastructure inspection, agriculture, and so on. Worldwide, the civil drone market is set to triple by 2028. The market is largely dominated by China, which supplies three-quarters of all civilian drones. The world's leading manufacturer is DJI. In France, more than three-quarters of the civil drone market is held by professional drones. Recreational drones account for the remaining quarter. Average annual growth in the French market in recent years has been almost 30%. The French ecosystem is essentially made up of start-ups and SMEs, such as Parrot, Dronisos, BeTomorrow, Delair, Drone Volt and others. These pure players are gradually being joined by aerospace giants such as Airbus and Thalès. Digital giants such as Google, IBM and Amazon are also gradually entering the market. Market trends are towards the development of long-haul, cargo-capable drones, with a particular focus on the use of drones as a means of delivery. However, the sector is subject to stringent regulations, considered by manufacturers and operators to be highly restrictive, and this is hampering market growth.