AgFutura Technologies organized a focus group for the needs of the ICAERUS project where a discussion was held on the use of drones in rural areas in the Republic of North Macedonia.

The purpose of this group was to summarize different types of opinions from different stakeholders in this industry and in this rural eco system. The focus group was composed of a representative of the Ministry of Agriculture, a representative from the Agency for the Promotion of Agricultural Development, a farmer, a professor and a representative from the non-governmental sector.

AgFutura Technologies, as a partner in the consortium, has a significant role in the project itself with tasks in the field of rural logistics. For the needs of the ICAERUS project, testing of the system of the use of drones will be carried out in Ohrid and Strumica, where the delivery of medicines, documentation, fertilizers and mechanical parts in rural areas will be demonstrated.

With the implementation of the drone system in rural areas, several positive results are expected: promoting the use of drones as cargo transporters for hard-to-reach places, automating several aspects of rural logistics, using the 3rd generation wireless network (GSM) for real-time or near-real-time drone data transmission and reduced service time for emergency deliveries.

The ICAERUS project or “Innovation and Capacity building in Agricultural Environmental and Rural UAV Services” is funded by the Horizon Europe program, with a duration of four years (2022 – 2026). The consortium consists of 13 partners from eight different EU countries. The vision of the ICAERUS project is to explore the possibilities and understand the potential and impact of drones as multi-functional aircraft in agriculture, forestry and rural areas in the EU.

The goal of ICAERUS is through effective and efficient application to show and support the safe use of drones, as well as to identify the potential risks of their use.

With this project, the efficiency and effectiveness of rural logistics in Republic of North Macedonia can be drastically improved.