GlobalData predicts the strongest growth in the drone industry will come from commercial vehicles Credit: Stefan Wermuth/Bloomberg via Getty Images

Finnish multinational telecommunications company Nokia has launched a partnership with Swisscom to deploy a drone network across Switzerland to upgrade infrastructure inspection and emergency responses, the two companies announced on Thursday (8 August).

Nokia will supply 300 vehicles that mobile and broadband provider Swisscom will operate through a drones-as-a-service (DaaS) network. 

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The DaaS model allows clients to use drones on demand without having to worry about operating, maintaining and outright buying them. 

Police, firefighters and other public safety agencies will be able to request a drone flight from the company and access the data which is collected.

The global drone market was worth $15.2bn in 2020, according to research and analysis company GlobalData.

The strongest growth will come from commercial drones, which will record a compound annual growth rate of more than 32% between 2020 and 2030, according to the company.

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A rapid rise in patents filed for underwater drones since 2015 reflects accelerating investment in underwater capabilities as well, according to the research firm.

Underwater drones are used in military, environmental, and infrastructure applications with investment said to be driving innovation in endurance, navigation, and data collection for military and commercial uses.

According to GlobalData’s proprietary technology innovation intelligence tool Technology Foresights, 157 patents were filed for underwater drones between 2015 and 2023. According to the analyst, there are a total of 181 filed to date, and 33 of these were filed in 2023.