CEO identifies solutions to help UVS industry meet market demand
Published on October 31, 2011
October 31, 2011, Medicine Hat Alberta...Known internationally as one of the three leading sites worldwide for evaluation of Unmanned Aircraft Systems (UAS), the Canadian Centre for Unmanned Vehicle Systems (CCUVS) has the capability to perform a variety of industry focused activities including research, design, operations, project management and training. However, Dewar Donnithorne-Tait, President and CEO of CCUVS, sees that role evolving in the upcoming years.
Donnithorne-Tait explains a natural shift occurring from what he describes as 'technology push', where industry is trying to persuade people that unmanned systems are good, towards 'customer pull', where they understand the product and just require somebody to put it together. “Increasingly we are seeing end-user communities, people who want imagery, analysis or particular information, coming forward; they are saying "This is what we want, can you help?" This is an incredibly positive change, which reflects the success of the work done by groups like ours over recent years.”
Building on the supply chain and increasing knowledge of trusted advisors, consultancies and analysts will be an area CCUVS will be working on to ensure qualified people are in place to advise clients about solutions as well as demonstrate the product.
“The technology demonstration role is something that CCUVS is increasingly involved in,” explained Donnithorne-Tait; “we approach this by using commercial partners, ideally for-profit companies, to take on the role of system integrators. We would like to have several of them ready to respond to market needs. The focus is to build up the supply chain and use integrators to pull together some of the solutions and demonstrations for industry; we would facilitate the work, handing over to companies as they form and come on line.”
Supporting future efforts to build on industry skill and knowledge CCUVS and Aviation Publishers released Unmanned, 1st Edition, a textbook for UAS studies. This book covers the subjects which operators must know to fly these leading edge unmanned aircraft systems responsibly. To read the official release written by Aviation Publishers click here.
CCUVS is a federally registered not-for-profit company, whose purpose is to facilitate sustained, profitable growth in the Canadian unmanned vehicle systems sector. To learn more about industry in southeast Alberta the Economic Development Alliance of Southeast Alberta encourages you to go to www.edalliance.ca to watch a video on unmanned vehicle systems in Alberta.