PARK TICINO | SITE OF PARK ZURICH
SWISS DRONE COMPETENCE CENTER
Passion for flight
envisioning drones in everyday business
VALUE PROPOSITION
Swiss Drone Competence Center is the hub growing research, technology, aerospace, regulatory, and business know-how for communities and companies to explore, innovate and enable leading-edge drone applications and projects.
1. INNOVATION & R&D
We don’t just support innovation — we drive it. Swiss Drone Competence Center actively coordi- nates and facilitates collaborative innovation pro- jects between companies and universities, as well as between companies themselves.
We help turn ambitious drone ideas into real-world solutions by connecting you with leading Swiss and international research institutions; including USI, SUPSI, IDSIA, ZHAW and many more; to co-develop profiting from the state-of-the-art know-how in AI, robotics, and mechatronics.
We empower faster, smarter innovation — guiding your journey from concept to integration and full commercial operation.
© SUPSI DTI
2. REAL-WORLD TESTING ENVIRONMENTS
Operate and test your drones in safe, controlled conditions; indoor, outdoor, alpine, and airport en- vironments; with full VLOS and BVLOS capabilities.
Our infrastructure includes:
- Designated airspace at Riviera airport
- Simulated indoor testing environment
- Indoor test zone in Zurich (SIP-ZH)
- The highest BVLOS testing area in Europe, from 270 up to 2,727 m.a.s.l., offering a unique alpine environment with over 2,400 m of elevation difference
- Support for SORA /PDRA risk assessments
- Operational guidance in cooperation with FOCA
- Exclusive-use control tower for drone operations
- Dedicated runway for drone testing
- Over 200 flyable days per year, thanks to Ticino’s favourable weather conditions
3. CERTIFICATION & COMPLIANCE MADE EASY
Accelerate your go-to-market strategy.
We support:
- CE and EASA class C (C1–C6) certifications
- Technical validation and documentation
- Regulatory navigation with notified body partners
© Alfio Tommasini per Ticino Scienza
4. A THRIVING INDUSTRY NETWORK
Be part of Switzerland’s growing drone ecosystem. At Swiss Drone Competence Center, you gain access to:
- High-level industry, research and institutional partners
- Community events, demos, and networking workshops
- Strategic network of national and international partners
- Conference rooms, coworking spaces, laboratories and private office areas on site
LOCATION
Swiss Drone Competence Center is headquartered in Lodrino inside the Riviera airport, about 15 km north from Bellinzona.
Our operational site comprises several infrastructures at disposition upon request for drone related R&D activities:
- Different UAS outdoor flight areas in VLOS and soon to be released BVLOS mode.
- Airport runway: With a length of 773 m and a width of 40 m, our airport runway provides direct access for flight tests and training activities. Notably, there are no air traffic services on site, meaning that aircraft crews only transmit essential information to ensure smooth and safe operations.
- Control tower equipped with air traffic integration systems and top view on the entire flight zones over the airport ground to ensure situation awareness.
- Shared or private office space, large meetings rooms for workshops and trainings inside the control tower building, as iconic place for flight passionate.
- Warehouse space for your materials and possibility to get your own workshop directly near the outdoor test areal and the airport runway.
Our unique location inside a civil airport places us in proximity to various aviation companies such as RUAG AG, Karen SA, Heli TV, EOS Helicopter, and Air Evolution LTD, bringing together aviation and UAS expertise on the same site. The zone is still under development, which allows us to take advantage of the interesting growth possibilities that lie ahead.
RESEARCH PARTNERS
At the Swiss Drone Competence Center, we thrive on collaboration and synergies with academic institutions, serving as hubs for research and education. This collaboration grants us access to a vast pool of expertise across diverse fields.
Our potential scientific endeavors, exploring the realms of new drone technologies and applications, encompass:
MEMBERS
The realm of UAS and their multifaceted applications is expansive. Within Swiss Drone Competence Center, our member companies are engaged in diverse sectors, including:
© Microavia
JOIN OUR NETWORK
At Swiss Drone Competence Center, we wholeheartedly endorse the power of networking among diverse companies, research and training centers, and institutions. This collaborative spirit bolsters cooperation and fosters the emergence of fresh projects and expertise.
If you’re interested in becoming a part of our dynamic network, we invite you to contact us. Applications are open!