Drone technology in Greater Zurich

The U.S. company Matternet is the leading developer of commercial drone delivery systems for urban and suburban environments. In 2017, Matternet became the first company in the world to be authorized for commercial BVLOS operations of drone logistics networks over cities in Switzerland and has since been running the world's longest urban drone delivery route in Zurich.

We asked Oliver Evans, Head of Global Busines Strategy at Matternet, about their successful expansion into Greater Zurich.

Greater Zurich Area Ltd: Why did you choose Switzerland to expand your activities? 

Oliver Evans: Switzerland was chosen for several compelling reasons: first and foremost, the Federal Office of Civil Aviation (FOCA) had taken (and maintains) a globally leading role in developing a robust regulatory frame for safe, beneficial drone operations. Ever since our first BVLOS flights in Switzerland in 2014, FOCA and Matternet have had a fruitful and exciting collaboration leading to a number of commercial global firsts. 

Secondly, Switzerland is home to outstanding academic institutes like ETH Zurich and the University of Zurich, which lead the world in relevant fields like robotics, and we have collaborated extensively over the years. 

Additionally, although Switzerland is a relatively small country, it is home to an extraordinary number of companies that are global leaders in their respective industries: pharmaceuticals, banking, specialized engineering, etc. It has an excellent reputation for the robustness of its safety and quality culture, and thus successful implementation of services in Switzerland accelerates the adoption also across the world.

Greater Zurich Area Ltd:  How do U.S. (drone) companies benefit from the local ecosystem? 

Oliver Evans: Achieving our goals is an extraordinarily complex undertaking, involving close collaboration and creativity of a wide range of stakeholders. The size and sophistication of the Swiss market enable a dialogue and concertation towards practical goals which is peerless in the world. 

We cannot control and implement our program without reaching and engaging key decision-makers in a wide range of stakeholders from the world of politics and industry. Greater Zurich Area Ltd has helped open many such channels of communication, as well as providing invaluable guidance and assistance as we opened our office and commenced operations.