SME-RISE Partners Meet in Crete

On 8 July 2026, SME-RISE partners gathered in Heraklion, Crete, to continue shaping the tools, training, and resources that will help SMEs and aspiring entrepreneurs build successful businesses in the drone sector.

Bringing together experts in business development, innovation, vocational education, and drone technologies, the meeting focused on a key question: what skills, knowledge, and support do people need to transform innovative drone ideas into sustainable businesses?

Understanding the real challenges facing drone entrepreneurs

The day began with the project coordinator ISCTE and the meeting host, European Progress, setting the scene for the day.

IPN then presented the findings of the Localised and User-led Needs Definition Report, based on research conducted with drone SMEs and professionals in Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus. The report explored business maturity, regulatory confidence, training needs, and the perceived impact of drone technologies.

Gonçalo Brásio​

Gonçalo Brásio​, IPN

The full report will be made publicly available through the SME-RISE project in the coming months.

The findings revealed that technical drone skills are generally well developed, while business management, sales, marketing, and commercialisation remain key challenges. Despite operating in different markets, respondents across all three countries identified similar barriers, particularly around regulatory compliance, flight permissions, cross-border operations, and insurance requirements.

From technology adoption to business readiness

Building on these findings, European Progress presented the project's Impact Analysis, exploring how drone technologies create value across sectors such as agriculture, surveying, civil protection, media, education, and infrastructure monitoring. Drones were shown to improve efficiency, reduce operational costs, increase safety, and support more sustainable practices.

However, the analysis also revealed several recurring barriers preventing SMEs from scaling their services. These include difficulties navigating regulatory requirements, translating compliance into business operations, pricing services effectively, securing funding, and demonstrating return on investment to customers.

Maria Giampoulaki, European Progress

Shaping the SME-RISE curriculum

A major focus of the meeting was the development of the SME-RISE curriculum. Partners reviewed the evidence gathered so far and discussed the knowledge areas that could inform future training activities.

Building a stronger support ecosystem

SPOTIN introduced the next phase of work, which will map the support ecosystem available to drone entrepreneurs across Portugal, Greece, and Cyprus.

The upcoming assessment will identify incubators, accelerators, funding programmes, professional networks, and policy initiatives that can support startup growth. These findings will feed into an open-access guidebook designed to help entrepreneurs navigate regulation, access funding opportunities, develop business models, and scale their services more effectively.

Alkyoni Baglatzi and Afroditi Riga, Spotin

Which drone business opportunities show the most promise?

Future Needs shared insights from a stakeholder workshop organised during Airspace World in Lisbon, where industry experts explored emerging opportunities for new entrants to the drone market.

Participants identified industrial inspections, medical logistics, precision agriculture, emergency response services, and drone-enabled digital twin solutions as some of the most promising areas for future growth. The workshop also explored the risks associated with these markets, including regulatory uncertainty, access to customers, operational challenges, and talent shortages. These findings will help shape future business development materials, case studies, and practical learning resources within SME-RISE.

Sofia Iosifidou, Future Needs

Future Needs also presented the initial concept for the SME-RISE online platform, which will host learning materials, practical business tools, regulatory guidance, case studies, and other resources designed to support aspiring entrepreneurs throughout their journey.

Looking Ahead

As communication, dissemination and exploitation lead of the project, Future Needs concluded the meeting with an update on dissemination activities and upcoming outreach initiatives, ensuring that the knowledge, tools, and resources developed through SME-RISE reach the entrepreneurs and organisations that can benefit from them most.

As work progresses, SME-RISE remains focused on one goal: helping more people move beyond operating drones and towards building innovative, sustainable businesses that create value, jobs, and new opportunities in the European drone economy.

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