The burgeoning drone industry, valued at approximately US$30 billion globally in 2022, continues to soar, presenting new opportunities for growth and innovation. Now, residents of the Northern Territory (NT) are urged to contribute their insights to a newly introduced draft strategy aimed at fostering local industry expansion.

Outlined in the final report by the Territory Economic Reconstruction Commission, drones are recognized as one of the pivotal digital technologies poised to propel economic advancement and employment opportunities. The report underscores the potential of a robust drone sector to bolster productivity and economic engagement across various sectors, particularly in regional and remote NT areas.

The draft Northern Territory Drone Industry Strategy serves as a blueprint to propel the advancement of drone technologies, thereby augmenting traditional industries, generating economic dividends, and revolutionizing service delivery. Formulated through extensive consultations both internally and externally, the strategy outlines a comprehensive framework spanning four key areas:

• Industry Growth: Collaborating with the industry to sustainably expand the NT drone sector.

• Education, Training, and Workforce Development: Partnering with research and educational institutions to cultivate a skilled workforce tailored for the NT drone industry.

• Regulation and Government Settings: Engaging with all levels of government to establish a regulatory framework conducive to drone industry growth.

• Community and Recreation: Engaging the public to promote awareness and recreational use of drones.

Territorians, businesses, and industry stakeholders are urged to provide feedback on the draft strategy via the Have Your Say website, with consultations open until 5 pm on March 31.

In tandem with the strategy launch, the Northern Territory Government has unveiled the Drone Innovation Challenge under its Innovation Challenges Program. Geared towards accelerating the development of a more competitive, innovation-driven economy within the Territory and fostering collaboration, the challenge calls upon participants — including businesses, investors, training providers, and industry stakeholders — to devise proposals for the Drone Technology Innovation Cluster. This cluster aims to facilitate the advancement of drone technology and associated industries within the NT.

Interested organizations are encouraged to form consortiums to develop their proposals, with judging based on the proposal's value proposition for the Territory. The winning consortium stands to negotiate a contract with the NT Government for proposal procurement and will receive $100,000 in seed funding.