The Rwanda Information Society Authority (RISA), under the Ministry of ICT and Innovation (MINICT) and in collaboration with AFD, is establishing a Drone Operation Center in Huye, Southern Province. Preparations are underway for this significant project, set to start soon. Staff from partner institutions have completed related training and participated in study tours and benchmarking visits to France, Belgium, and Spain from October 21 to November 3, 2024. The Rwandan delegation included representatives from RISA, the Rwanda Civil Aviation Authority (RCAA), the Rwanda Housing Authority (RHA), CHARIS UAS, Meteo Rwanda, and Locus Dynamics.

The companies visited in France, Spain, and Belgium include Drone Port in Sint-Truiden, Belgium; Delair in France; Thales Alenia Space in France; Alistair in Lyon, France; Thales Brétigny Drone Hub in France; ATLAS Research Experimental Flight Center in Spain; and Thales Aerospace in Rungis, France. Each company has unique expertise in drone operations and airspace management, as outlined below:

Drone Port in Sint-Truiden, Belgium: Here, the team discovered how the innovative model supports startups, facilitates drone testing, and promotes UAV collaborations, and airspace Management. regulations governing UAS geo zones. Integration of UASs and drones into the airspace and promoting safe and responsible use of unmanned aircraft systems. UAV outdoor flight test requirements. Routine flight and flight test request procedures. DOC setup, interior design, and equipment. 

In addition, Rwandan delegation visited Delair company in Toulouse, France, that specializes in drone design and manufacturing. Delair is creating a bigger ecosystem, boosting the local industry and other component manufacturers' supply of parts such as batteries, motors, propellers etc. Presentation of the structure of the factory and drone manufacturing process, Outsourcing drone raw material, industrial challenges and opportunities, and marketing strategies. The prospect of starting a partnership and the possibility of engineering knowledge transfer and training and final Cost estimate to develop a drone prototype.  

THALES AMS Specializes in UAS solutions, design, operation, and delivery of satellite-based systems. Presentation on Air Traffic Management, risk assessment methodology. Challenges which are faced by the drone operators of today, and tomorrow and possible solutions. Products and services that support complex drone operations ensure a high level of safety. 

Alistair, based in Lyon, France, specializes in tethered drone solutions designed for surveillance, telecommunications, and critical infrastructure inspection, enhancing national safety measures, and infrastructure monitoring, emergency response and disaster, technology transfer and training. 

Thales Brétigny Drone Hub, located in Brétigny Paris France, is a specialized facility aimed at advancing drone technology and helping startups integrate into the aerospace and drone ecosystems. The hub provides testing, training, and collaboration opportunities that are crucial for innovation and compliance within the drone industry. 

Thales Aerospace, based in Rungis, France. Thales specializes in advanced technology for aerospace applications, including command and control systems, navigation, cybersecurity, and drone traffic management—areas that align well with Rwanda’s rapidly growing interest in drones. Thales Aerospace presented areas of collaboration with Rwanda that include Drone Traffic Management (UTM), Advanced Avionics for Drone Fleet, Training and Knowledge Transfer, Cybersecurity Solutions, Research and Development (R&D) Collaborations and Support for Regulatory Development.

ATLAS research experimental flight center located in Madrid, Spain belonging to the Advanced Center for Aerospace Technologies (CATEC) , which offers the international aeronautical community a segregated airspace of 1,000 square kilometer equipped with specific facilities for UAS, with excellent weather conditions more than 300 days of sunshine a year, high availability to execute flight campaigns, and a clear customer orientation, highlighting the agility and confidentiality in each project.

EU Drone Port in Barcelona Spain, specializes in Unmanned Aerial System (UAS) certification, it plays a critical role in ensuring that drones meet safety, performance, and regulatory standards. The facility likely provides testing, inspection, and certification services that help drone manufacturers and operators meet EU standards, which are some of the most rigorous in the world.

The visits concluded with securing potential partnerships with Rwandan universities and technical institutes to provide training on tethered drone technology. This includes fostering local expertise in agricultural monitoring such as tracking crop health and land management and Air Traffic Management. The discussions also covered risk assessment methods, challenges facing drone operators, and solutions to support safe, complex drone operations.