Brazilian industry of drones is consolidated and bet on growth

With solutions tailored to the local market, Brazilian manufacturers of drones come conquering competitiveness in relation to imported. A sign of this is that, in just one year, the number of companies that produce equipment, develop software or provide services based on this technology has almost tripled in Brazil. According to data from the National Civil Aviation Agency (Anac) disclosed this month, the Brazil has 2,359 companies registered, compared with 821 drones a year ago, in July 2017. In addition to the manufacturers and developers, there are companies that specialize in devices such as cameras and sensors that integrate equipment. With technical assistance and software updates more affordable, made in less time and cheaper, local players consolidate mainly in the professional segment, other than recreativo, dominated by imported, and the military, which does not require great customization. The Mechanical engineering professor William Kurilov, the Instituto Mauá de Tecnologia, from São Paulo, explains that the first versions produced in Brazil were aimed at military use in stiff competition with imported. About two years ago, however, companies of various sectors have begun to use drones for professional purposes, how to monitor civil works and energy or monitor crops. This usage requires specific technical features, such as greater autonomy of flight, certain functionality and suitability to the local law – and that the national players have found a loophole. Currently, the biggest buyers in Brazil are the segments of agribusiness, construction and energy. The security market is still relevant to the unmanned aerial vehicles, or UAVs, in official terminology provided by Brazilian regulators-drone is a generic term for this type of vehicle and the most well-known on the market. But the civil segment became a mother lode. The Brazilian equipment through Anac approval before being marketed, for checking functionality and required flight time. The industry also provides training and pilot's license. In addition, all professional aircraft produced in Brazil receive agency identification cards. In accordance with the field cartographer engineer and coordinator of Droneshow, largest drones of Brazil, Emerson Granemann, agribusiness represents about 40% of the UAS industry revenues in the country. most national mapping equipment spraying and air is dedicated to the cultivation of sugar cane. According to the CEO of XMobots, Giovani Amianti, this is because, due to technological limitations, the versions developed currently by industry fail to include farms with very large areas such as grain. In addition, the cost of mapping and spraying for producers of sugar cane is more advantageous in relation to the cost of services for the sojicultores. The company, founded in 2007 in aeronautical pole of São Carlos (SP), is specialized in the development of drones. In the billing of XMobots, sugar cane sugar represents currently about 70%. The rest comes from sales to other agricultural crops such as orange and eucalyptus, and for the construction industry. When the company began marketing the equipment, in 2013, the industry that more buying was building. It's just that, from 2014, the thread is losing pace. The great works stopped and the participation of the sector in the company's revenue, about 60%, fell to 5 percent in 2016. During this period, the company had to reinvent itself and the thread that proved more receptive to new technologies was the agribusiness. "Our intention is to retrieve what has been lost in the next two years. For this year, the goal is to grow 100%, "says Amianti. The company expects to earn R $10 million in 2018. The Horus, Piracicaba (SP) company that sells drones with focus on aerial mapping, also has the industry as its main buyer. Agribusiness represents about 60% of your revenue and the remainder is divided into mining, construction and public bodies. SegurançaFundada in 1997, Brazil Aircraft, Caxias do Sul (RS), began manufacturing for military UAS and, until today, the sector is your biggest buyer. According to the founder, Andersson Beccari, lack incentive and support policies so that industry can meet the needs of all segments. So, the company intends to focus on production for military purposes. The Avionics Services, of Sao Paulo, was created in 1996 for the manufacture of electronic equipment for the aeronautical market. But, according to the President of the company, John the Baptist Vernini, only over the years it became clear the market potential of drones. Currently, the Avionics manufactures only one type of UAV, marketed to the military segment. But the intention is to increase the variety of equipment and expand the activities for different sectors. Services agreement with Granemann, Droneshow, the national industry is diversifying. "In the last edition, in 2017, we had 52 exhibiting companies representing 90 brands, counting the entire production chain, which involves sensors, technology, processing and post-processing software," he says. The Arpac is an example of a company that provides services with drones. Headquarted in São Leopoldo (RS), the company makes spraying crops and operates mainly in the field of sugar cane. In 2017, they attended a business acceleration program from Basf. According to the Director of the company, Eduardo Goerl, the rapprochement with the multinational had a decisive role for the consolidation of Arpac. "With the support of her [Basf], we have access to much of the market. She introduced us to most of our customers, "he says. Although some companies are growing with the provision of services with drones, others still are waiting for an improvement of the economic scenario in the country to win market. The Space Airships, for example, is about a year and a half without customers. The company, founded in Barra da Tijuca (RJ) in 1997, provides air monitoring. Had as main clients companies with longitudinal extension works, such as roads, pipelines and powerlines-a market that, according to the Director and founder of the company, Flávio Kauffmann, started to get bad in 2014. But he estimates that the situation is temporary and that, therefore, the company should grow back. For professor Kurilov, Mauá Institute, not only the construction sector should be promising for the drones, but the entire commercial market must, increasingly, better understand the importance of technology. " The drones are replacing people in dangerous jobs and are generating more accuracy in data collection. The Brazil is hitting much in application of technology and the trend is to continue like this, "says the expert.