Skyports to land European headquarters at Westcott Space Cluster

Published by

Stephen Emerson

Drone specialist Skyports is to base its European headquarters and centre of excellence at the Westcott Space Cluster.

The firm plans to operate its its Beyond Visual Line Sight (BVLOS) drone flights from the Westcott base in Aylesbury, Buckinghamshire, and will develop the location as its global command and control centre for delivery, survey and surveillance drone missions.

Skyports say they will draw on the site's powerful internet networking capabilities to enable remote flight operations anywhere in the world and develop the site as a centre of excellence for its world-class pilots.

Alex Brown, head of drone Services at Skyports, said: “Our move to Westcott Space Cluster and work with Satellite Applications Catapult is testament to the fact that drone services have become a core solution for enhancing critical services with more sustainable, cost-effective alternatives. We look forward to moving our operational headquarters to an environment that will foster innovation and research and enable us to demonstrate and extend our capabilities.”

The Westcott site has multiple sectors operating from it so far including space, healthcare, agriculture, engineering and manufacturing.

Skyports operates drone services for various industries and use cases, including ship-to-shore deliveries, BVLOS drone surveying and surveillance, and medical drone logistics.

Martin Smye-Rumsby, Westcott Area Manager at Satellite Applications Catapult, said:

“I am delighted that Skyports have chosen Westcott to grow their pioneering drone services. Westcott has a distinguished history of testing and development, so it is fitting that the Westcott Innovation Centre is where Skyports will continue to develop their pioneering operations. By using space data and technology, companies like Skyports will provide services that make life better for us all. Skyports has previously worked on a fantastic healthcare initiative with the European Space Agency (ESA) and Argyll & Bute HSCP to significantly improve logistics and save time when delivering medical services in the Argyll & Bute region.”

Stephen Emerson

Stephen Emerson is the Managing Editor of The Business Magazine and is responsible for the publication's print publications and online properties including the newly launched Biz News websites in Hampshire and Dorset. Stephen has been a journalist for 20 years and has worked at local, regional and national publications and led a team which made The Scotsman website one of the fastest growing news sites in the UK with over eight million monthly users. He has a keen interest in technology, property and corporate finance and telling the stories of the people behind the successful firms in these sectors.