In 2021–23, the World Bank conducted regional analytical work under the support of PwC Drone Powered Solutions - Global Centre of Excellence in Drone Technology for Unmanned Aircraft Systems (Drones) in Projects and Operations in Latin America and the Caribbean (LAC). The study covers 35 selected countries and aims to provide recommendations on practical steps that can be taken to unlock the potential of widespread drone adoption and to scale up operations across different sectors as a way to bring innovation, development, and solutions to complex social and environmental problems.
By understanding the necessity for creating sustainable business models for drone operations, the insights from the study seek to unlock opportunities for countries to enhance economic growth, drive innovation, and promote technology dissemination throughout the LAC region. The study integrated extensive desk research of primary and secondary sources with a wide number of detailed interviews involving key local and international stakeholders and gathered insights from several workshops and working sessions with relevant participants from specific countries and sub-regions.
Overview of the Main Report
The report “Drones for Development: Overview of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean” aims to give an overview of the stage of UAS development in the region and serves as a guiding document for public sector decision-makers willing to explore the use of drone technology.
The report also includes the following chapters:
- Introduction
outlines development challenges in the LAC region and explains how drones can offer new capabilities and potentially generate cost savings, all while ensuring comprehensive and prompt timely for everyone.
UAS as a Development Tool for LAC
gives an overview of the drone ecosystem development, explains the potential of drones for development, and notes that despite strong private sector interest pushing the adoption of drone technology forward, the realisation of the full potential is impacted by the involvement of the public sector, particularly in eliminating current obstacles.
Five UAS Use Cases for Development
explores areas which could benefit from additional support through drone operations: healthcare, agriculture, disaster risk management, road infrastructure maintenance and monitoring, and habitat restoration and reforestation. For each area, an example of the application is provided, demonstrating the advantages of drone technology.
Drone Regulations in LAC
showcases a status of drone regulations within the region and underscores that developing thorough regulations is essential for unlocking the potential of drones for developmental applications.
An Emerging Market with a Potential for Job Creation
emphasises that if governments implement supportive measures to facilitate drone usage, the potential market growth over the next five years period would be substantial. The expansion of the drone sector is anticipated to create hundreds of new jobs in areas such as service provision, software development, research and development, training, education, and more.
Moving Forward: Finding and Recommendations
provides a summary of the study’s key insights and stress the need for public sector leadership in the development and implementation of UAS projects.
Supporting Reports of the Study
As part of the Study, the main Report titled “Drones for Development: Overview of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean” is supplemented by 4 Attachments, each offering additional and more detailed insights about different areas of the drone technology. Attachment 1 “Drones General Assessment in Latin America and the Caribbean” and Attachment 2 “Drones Services Market Potential in the LAC Region” comprise an assessment of drone ecosystems in the region along with international best experiences and a thorough market analysis for drone services in the whole LAC region.
Attachment 1: Drones General Assessment in Latin America and the Caribbean
The report presents an overview of the current state and maturity level of drone ecosystems in the LAC region, while also assessing how widely key drone applications have been adopted. Additionally, it showcases an analysis of global regulatory and UTM trends, international UAS ecosystem benchmarks from 5 countries (USA, Switzerland, Poland, Spain and Rwanda), and a detailed look into selected LAC countries.
Attachment 2: Drones Services Market Potential in the LAC Region
The report provides a market analysis, estimating both the existing and projected potential for drone services across various industries in each country up to the year 2026. The report highlights the job creation potential of the UAS commercial service industry, as well as the number of commercial and recreational drones forecasted until 2026.
Attachment 3 “Drones for Good” and Attachment 4 “Drone Ecosystem Development Initiatives” are focused on use cases of drone technology for development purposed in the LAC region along with the business models and strategic drone development initiatives that were created based on a thorough examination of international best practices and specific needs of the region.
Attachment 3: Drones for Good
The report highlights the potential for adopting drone technologies for development. The broad study covers 14 use cases, including the SDGs impacted, relevant social and environmental challenges that drones can solve, and proposed pilot projects. Additionally, it provides a detailed description of the factors that facilitate or hinder adoption, along with various business models.
Attachment 4: Drone Ecosystem Development Initiatives
The report outlines key initiatives that are necessary to ensure the expansion and consolidation of the drone ecosystem for the next five years to unlock the potential of the lower skies in the LAC region. Two illustrative development roadmaps for early stage and intermediate/advanced drone ecosystems are provided.
The conducted Study is crucial for gaining a comprehensive understanding of the current state of drone implementation in Latin America and the Caribbean. The identified key lessons learned and formulated recommendations will allow to further promote the advancement of UAS technology within the region.
How can PwC Drone Powered Solutions help you?
Regulatory Advisory
Analysing country-specific drone regulatory landscapes and developing frameworks along with implementation roadmaps tailored to each country’s specifications
Market analysis and sizing
Conducting market analysis and sizing of drone services and ecosystems, as well as assessing the market potential for innovative drone solutions to replace traditional methods.
Operational and Technological Assessment
Providing advisory on the operational and technological applicability, as well as the range of benefits presented by drone and satellite technologies in diverse contexts and sectors
Governance and Capacity Building
Conducting in-depth analysis and identification of capacity-building needs of public and private stakeholders along with the development of recommendations to support their collaboration in drone related matters
Strategic Advisory
Developing comprehensive strategies to facilitate safe and secure drone operations, foster digitalisation processes, increase public awareness, and showcase benefits presented by technology
Pilot projects
Providing consulting services and detailed analysis of the most suitable approaches and practices when launching drone pilot projects, and comprehensive guidance on integrating drone technology into operations.
Discover more drone development insights, overview of different regulatory frameworks, and strategic guidance for scalable adoption of the technology in the LAC region by accessing the complete report provided below.
Drones for Development: Overview of Opportunities in Latin America and the Caribbean
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