The Estonian drone industry is about to receive a significant boost — Metrosert is establishing a unique drone testing laboratory. Government’s investment will enable the development of technologies for drones, hydrogen, and autonomous vehicles, bringing world-class testing capabilities to Estonia.
“When a product or technology is developed at a research institution, our goal is to advance it to the stage where entrepreneurs can start production,” says Indrek Tulp, Head of the Applied Research Center.
The procurement processes for laboratory technology are already underway, and the first equipment will arrive in Estonia in the coming months. After installation and tuning, the first tests are planned to begin by the end of this year.
The new drone laboratory will include both indoor and outdoor testing areas where drones and their components can be tested under extreme conditions — from climate chambers to vibration and corrosion tests, as well as acoustic measurements. The drone center will also work on alternative navigation solutions for communication and navigation disruptions, including landmark-based positioning and machine learning. Additionally, it will develop secure communication protocols and drone swarm control solutions.
Another focus area will be the chip center, where specific, secure, and optimized chips designed for manufacturers will be developed and tested. The chip center’s work involves hardware security analysis, functional verification, and prototyping.
“Our goal is to give unmanned aviation in Estonia a new boost,” emphasizes Rainer Kivimäe, Head of the Drone Technologies Unit.
