Drones have become an important weapon in the Ukraine war.

Military conflicts such as the war in Ukraine are driving the German drone industry, according to the German Drone Industry Association (BDLI). "German manufacturers of unmanned aerial systems are currently experiencing rapid demand for military reconnaissance and warlike conflicts," explains BDLI Executive Director Marie-Christine von Hahn. Innovation cycles are almost dizzyingly fast. "What was a garage startup yesterday is going into series production tomorrow."

The German Aerospace Industries Association (BDLI) claims to represent around 260 member companies with a combined annual turnover of around €46 billion and 115,000 employees. The association declined to provide specific revenue figures for the relatively new sub-sector of unmanned aerial systems (UAS). According to a monitor limited to 30 companies, revenue increased by nine percent last year. Larger deals are expected. The number of employees grew by around 24 percent to 7,700 during the same period.

Around 70 percent of drone manufacturers operate in the military sector, according to the association. In the civilian sector, enormous progress is being made in the development of concrete applications and business models. "The use of civilian drones in Germany can be beneficial for German society with constructive support from the state as a regulatory authority," says von Hahn. Public acceptance is steadily growing.