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Anton Koren, Head of the Transport Strategy Center (TSC), outlined growth opportunities for the unmanned aerial systems market at a roundtable discussion in the Federation Council.

Anton Koren, Head of the Transport Strategy Center (TSC), spoke at a roundtable discussion in the Federation Council on the integration of autonomous vehicles into Russia's legal framework. In his report, Koren presented an analysis of the prospects for the unmanned aerial systems (UAS) market, noting the significant export potential and technological advances of domestic developments.

Global Market and Russia's Export Potential
Anton Koren emphasized the scale of the emerging opportunities: "According to various estimates, the global market for unmanned aerial systems could approach $200 billion per year within the next decade." He noted that UAS have high export potential in the civilian segment, as evidenced by the exports of both domestic and, for example, multibillion-dollar Chinese manufacturers to various countries around the world.

Passenger UAS: Creating a Regulatory Framework Will Unlock Investment
Despite the fact that projects in the passenger segment are temporarily suspended, Russia has every opportunity to develop a systemic approach.
"Regarding passenger UAS, virtually all development projects in our country have been suspended; there is no strategy at the federal level, even though there is obvious future demand for these solutions, which have significant export potential," stated Anton Koren.

The head of the Transport Strategy Center (TSC) stated that it would be appropriate to organize and implement work at the federal level in this segment, at least in terms of developing a federal roadmap and regulations to create the conditions for the development of the passenger UAS segment in Russia. "Once the regulatory framework is in place, investors will have a basis for making investment decisions," the head of the TSC emphasized. Given the venture nature of such investments, he added that federal support measures are necessary for large, systemic institutional market players.

Heavy-lift Cargo UAVs: The Technological Groundwork Is Ready, Orders from Customers and Operators Are Needed

In the cargo drone segment, the situation is even more favorable in terms of solution readiness. Anton Koren explained: "In the second segment (MCN/MKN cargo UAVs weighing 200–600 kg for helicopters, vertical takeoff and landing aircraft, and up to 1000 kg for aircraft), all the conditions for development have been created, along with a sufficient regulatory framework for high-lift cargo UAV operations. However, a systematic approach to investment is lacking (despite the existing technological groundwork and ready-made solutions, including developments for heavy-lift aircraft and helicopters)."

The head of the Center for Strategic Research emphasized that investment decisions for these projects, including those for commercial system operation, have not yet been made. The key growth point is the development of federal policy and a unified order for such heavy-lift UAVs. The demand is clear: servicing the extractive industries, the oil and gas sector, cargo transportation to regions with difficult transport access, and the same products also have great potential for military applications.

With a technological base, ready-made solutions in the cargo segment, and an understanding of the steps to develop the passenger segment, Russia has all the prerequisites to capture a significant share of the rapidly growing global UAS market. Anton Koren called for the accelerated development of a federal roadmap and the creation of a regulatory environment, the launch of investor support mechanisms in these segments, and the involvement of potential operators in these projects. Proposals for the draft resolution were voiced.

The roundtable was also attended by: Ivan Evstifeev, member of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, Evgeny Ditrikh, member of the Federation Council Committee on Economic Policy, Vladimir Voloshin, Director of the Department of Digital Development and Data Economy of the Ministry of Economic Development of the Russian Federation, Demid Agafonkin, Deputy Director of the Department of Digital Development of the Ministry of Transport of the Russian Federation, Alexey Tsylev, Deputy Director of the Department of Automotive Industry and Railway Engineering of the Ministry of Industry and Trade of the Russian Federation, Renata Lyubimova, Deputy Director for Strategic Projects of the Department of Transport and Development of Road Transport Infrastructure of the City of Moscow, Andrey Tulupov, Head of the New Passenger Rolling Stock Development Department of the Technical Policy Department of JSC Russian Railways, Evgeny Potapov, Deputy Head of the Project Management Center for Technical Development of JSC Russian Railways, Mikhail Matasov, Deputy General Director of PJSC KAMAZ for Interaction with Government Agencies, and other experts.

 

Details in the video on the TSC channel in MAX