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Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany - Market Research Report (2014-2029)

Robert Maier Robert Maier Frankfurt, Germany Last Updated: June 2024 WZ SP26.01DE Spotlight Report

Revenue

€159.4m

2024

€159.4m

Past 5-Year Growth

Profit

€X.Xm

Employees

1,362

Businesses

22

Wages

€XX.Xm

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany industry analysis

The German drone industry has grown dynamically over the past five years. Since 2019, the industry's turnover has increased by an average of 12% per year. In 2024, turnover in the drone industry is expected to increase by 2.7% to 159 million euros. The background to this development is the increased use of drones for military, governmental, industrial and other commercial purposes, which has stimulated both the creation of new service models and the production of professionally equipped drones in Germany. Nevertheless, domestic manufacturers of unmanned aerial vehicles are in intense competition with suppliers from abroad, who currently still fulfil the majority of domestic demand. < /> Flying drones are very compact aircraft that can be positioned very precisely in three-dimensional space over comparatively long periods of time and can carry equipment such as cameras or various specialised cameras. Due to these characteristics, aerial drones are increasingly being used by companies and authorities for surveying, inspection and monitoring tasks. Specialised models are now also being developed for areas such as logistics and intralogistics. The dual-use nature of professional drone models led to an increase in domestic production following the Russian invasion of Ukraine, as the German Armed Forces and other military customers invested more heavily in German drone technology. From 2024 to 2029, industry turnover is expected to increase by an average of 7.4% per year. This means that the turnover generated by the domestic production of drones is expected to reach 228 million euros in 2029. Growth is likely to be driven primarily by a further increase in demand for professional drone models, although domestic production will probably remain limited to a few niche providers due to strong international competition.

Trends and Insights

  • Drones are used in a variety of areas. They are particularly suitable for surveying, inspection and monitoring tasks. In addition to the government sector, the construction and energy industries as well as the transport infrastructure and logistics sector are growth markets, for example.
  • The most frequently produced type of unmanned aerial vehicle in Germany is the reconnaissance drone. The sensor systems of reconnaissance drones are suitable for many deployment scenarios and cover the needs of a wide range of customer groups.
  • Other than the defence industry, there are only a few major drone manufacturers. As international competition in the field of drones is intense and the civilian market for drone applications is still under development in many areas, there are only a few major manufacturers in Germany.

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Industry Statistics and Trends

Market size and recent performance (2014-2029)

Industry revenue has grown at a CAGR of 12.0 % over the past five years, to reach an estimated €159.4m in 2024.

Trends and Insights

Foreign providers dominate the global drone market

  • The global market for the manufacture of drones exceeds the sales volume of the German market many times over. German manufacturers only play a subordinate role globally, although the share of total global investment in German drone manufacturers has recently increased.
  • Additional trends and insights available with purchase
Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany
Revenue (2014-2029)
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry outlook (2024-2029)

Market size is projected to grow over the next five years.

Trends and Insights

The commercial use of drones is gaining in importance

  • Government customers and companies are the most important customer groups for domestic manufacturers. Despite the current high demand from the military sector, the proportion of sales generated by non-government customers is likely to fall only moderately in the coming years. The background to this development is the increasing commercial use of drones.

Biggest companies in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany

There are no companies that hold a large enough market share in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany industry for IBISWorld to include in this product.

Products & Services Segmentation

Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany
Products & Services
IBISWorld Logo Source: IBISWorld

Industry revenue is measured across several distinct product and services lines, including Reconnaissance drones, Targeting drones and Logistics drones. Reconnaissance drones is the largest segment of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany.

Trends and Insights

Reconnaissance drones can be used in many different areas

  • Reconnaissance drones are unmanned aerial vehicles that have a camera for still and moving images or other systems for exploring, monitoring and surveying areas, buildings or other facilities.
  • More insights available in the full report

Table of Contents

About this industry

Industry definition

This industry comprises the manufacture of drones that can be operated and navigated by a computer or remote control without a crew on board. The manufacture of related aircraft such as air taxis, the provision of services based on drone technologies and the development of solutions in the field of drone detection and defence are not part of the industry.

What's included in this industry?

Production of multicopter dronesProduction of fixed-wing drones

Companies

Purchase this report to view all major companies in this industry.

Related Terms

MULTICOPTERFIXED-WING DRONE

Performance

Get an indication of the industry's health through historical, current and forward-looking trends in the performance indicators that make or break businesses.

Analyst insights

Drones are used in a variety of areas. They are particularly suitable for surveying, inspection and monitoring tasks. In addition to the government sector, the construction a...

In this chapter (4)

  • Current Performance
  • Outlook
  • Volatility
  • Life Cycle

Key metrics

  • Annual Revenue, Recent Growth, Forecast, Revenue Volatility
  • Number of Employees, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Employee
  • Number of Businesses, Recent Growth, Forecast, Employees per Business, Revenue per Business
  • Total Profit, Profit Margin, Profit per Business

Charts

  • Revenue, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Employees, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Businesses, including historical (2014-2023) and forecast (2024-2029)
  • Profit, including historical (2014-2024)
  • Industry Volatility vs. Revenue Growth
  • Industry Life Cycle

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in supply, demand and current events that are driving current industry performance
  • Expected trends, economic factors and ongoing events that drive the industry's outlook
  • Factors that influence volatility in the industry
  • Key success factors for businesses to overcome volatility

Products and Markets

Learn about an industry's products and services, markets and trends in international trade.

Analyst insight

The most frequently produced type of unmanned aerial vehicle in Germany is the reconnaissance drone. The sensor systems of reconnaissance drones are suitable for many deploym...

In this chapter

  • Products & Services
  • Major Markets
  • International Trade

Key metrics

  • Largest market segment and value in 2024
  • Product innovation level
  • Total imports, level and trend
  • Total exports, level and trend
  • Trade Balance

Charts

  • Products & services segmentation in 2024
  • Major market segmentation in 2024
  • International trade, including imports by country and exports by country

Detailed analysis

  • Trends impacting the recent performance of the industry's various segments
  • Innovations in the industry's product or service offering, specialization or delivery method
  • Key factors that successful businesses consider in their offerings
  • Buying segments and key trends influencing demand for industry products and services
  • Recent trends in import and export volumes, country of origin or destination, and expected future trends

Geographic Breakdown

Discover where business activity is most concentrated in an industry and the factors driving these trends to find opportunities and conduct regional benchmarking.

Analyst insights

Purchase this report to unlock analyst insights.

In this chapter (1)

  • Business Locations

Charts

  • Share of revenue, establishment, wages and employment in each region
  • Share of population compared to establishments in each region in 2024

Tables

  • Number and share of establishments in each region in 2024
  • Number and share of revenue each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of wages each region accounts for in 2024
  • Number and share of employees in each region in 2024

Detailed analysis

  • Key success factors for businesses to use location to their advantage

Competitive Forces

Get data and insights on what's driving competition in an industry and the challenges industry operators and new entrants may face, with analysis built around Porter's Five Forces framework.

Analyst insights

Other than the defence industry, there are only a few major drone manufacturers. As international competition in the field of drones is intense and the civilian market for dr...

In this chapter (4)

  • Concentration
  • Barriers to Entry
  • Substitutes
  • Buyer & Supplier Analysis

Key metrics

  • Industry concentration level
  • Industry competition level and trend
  • Barriers to entry level and trend
  • Substitutes level and trend
  • Buyer power level and trend
  • Supplier power level and trend

Charts

  • Market share concentration among the top 4 suppliers from 2019-2024
  • Supply chain including upstream supplying industries and downstream buying industries, flow chart

External Environment

Understand the demographic, economic and regulatory factors that shape how businesses in an industry perform.   

Analyst insights

Drones are subject to export controls as dual-use goods. In Germany, the EC Dual-Use Regulation, the Foreign Trade and Payments Act and the Foreign Trade and Payments Ordinan...

In this chapter

  • External Drivers
  • Regulation & Policy
  • Assistance

Key metrics

  • Regulation & policy level and trend
  • Assistance level and trend

Detailed analysis

  • Demographic and macroeconomic factors influencing the industry, including Regulation & Policy and Assistance

Financial Benchmarks

View average costs for industry operators and compare financial data against an industry's financial benchmarks over time. 

Analyst insights

The industry's profit margin is low due to the young age of many companies: Many companies in the field of unmanned aerial vehicle production are start-ups whose products are ...

In this chapter

  • Cost Structure
  • Financial Ratios
  • Key Ratios

Key metrics

  • Profit margin, and how it compares to the sector-wide margin
  • Average wages, and how it compares to the sector-wide average wage
  • Largest cost component as a percentage of revenue
  • Industry average ratios for days' receivables, industry coverage and debt-to-net-worth ratio

Charts

  • Average industry operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Average sector operating costs as a share of revenue, including purchases, wages, depreciation, utilities, rent, other costs and profit in 2024
  • Investment vs. share of economy

Data tables

  • Cash Flow & Debt Service Ratios (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Employee (2014-2029)
  • Revenue per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Establishment (2014-2029)
  • Employees per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • Average Wage (2014-2029)
  • Wages/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Establishments per Enterprise (2014-2029)
  • IVA/Revenue (2014-2029)
  • Imports/Demand (2014-2029)
  • Exports/Revenue (2014-2029)

Detailed analysis

  • Trends in the cost component for industry operators and their impact on industry costs and profitability 

Key Statistics

Industry Data

Data Tables

Including values and annual change:

  • Revenue (2014-2029)
  • IVA (2014-2029)
  • Establishments (2014-2029)
  • Enterprises (2014-2029)
  • Employment (2014-2029)
  • Exports (2014-2029)
  • Imports (2014-2029)
  • Wages (2014-2029)

Top Questions Answered

Unlock comprehensive answers and precise data upon purchase. View purchase options.

What is the market size of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany in 2024?

The market size of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany is €159.4m in 2024.

How many businesses are there in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany industry in 2024?

There are 22 businesses in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany, which has declined at a CAGR of 2.5 % between 2019 and 2024.

Has the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany grown or declined over the past 5 years?

The market size of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany has been growing at a CAGR of 12.0 % between 2019 and 2024.

What is the forecast growth of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany over the next 5 years?

Over the next five years, the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany is expected to grow.

What does the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing in Germany include?

Production of multicopter drones and Production of fixed-wing drones are part of the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry.

How competitive is the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany?

The level of competition is moderate and increasing in the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle (UAV) Manufacturing industry in Germany.

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Competitors

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Methodology

How are IBISWorld reports created?

IBISWorld has been a leading provider of trusted industry research for over 50 years to the most successful companies worldwide. With offices in Australia, the United States, the United Kingdom, Germany and China, we are proud to have local teams of analysts that conduct research, data analysis and forecasting to produce data-driven industry reports.

Our analysts start with official, verified and publicly available sources of data to build the most accurate picture of each industry. Analysts then leverage their expertise and knowledge of the local markets to synthesize trends into digestible content for IBISWorld readers. Finally, each report is reviewed by one of IBISWorld’s editors, who provide quality assurance to ensure accuracy and readability.

IBISWorld relies on human-verified data and human-written analysis to compile each standard industry report. We do not use generative AI tools to write insights, although members can choose to leverage AI-based tools within the platform to generate additional analysis formats.

What data sources do IBISWorld analysts use?

Each industry report incorporates data and research from government databases, industry-specific sources, industry contacts, and our own proprietary database of statistics and analysis to provide balanced, independent and accurate insights.

Key data sources in Germany include:

  • German Federal Statistics Office (Destatis)
  • European Statistics Office (Eurostat)
  • United Nations Comtrade

Analysts also use industry specific sources to complement catch-all sources, although their perspective may focus on a particular organization or representative body, rather than a clear overview of all industry operations. However, when balanced against other perspectives, industry-specific sources provide insights into industry trends.

These sources include:

  • Industry and trade associations
  • Industry federations or regulators
  • Major industry players annual or quarterly filings

Finally, IBISWorld’s global data scientists maintain a proprietary database of macroeconomic and demand drivers, which our analysts use to help inform industry data and trends. They also maintain a database of statistics and analysis on thousands of industries, which has been built over our more than 50-year history and offers comprehensive insights into long-term trends.

How does IBISWorld forecast its data?

IBISWorld’s analysts and data scientists use the sources above to create forecasts for our proprietary datasets and industry statistics. Depending on the dataset, they may use regression analysis, multivariate analysis, time-series analysis or exponential smoothing techniques to project future data for the industry or driver. Additionally, analysts will leverage their local knowledge of industry operating and regulatory conditions to impart their best judgment on the forecast model.

IBISWorld prides itself on being a trusted, independent source of data, with over 50 years of experience building and maintaining rich datasets and forecasting tools. We are proud to be the keystone source of industry information for thousands of companies across the world.

Learn more about our methodology and data sourcing on the Help Center.