Trimble has confirmed that Delair-Tech has acquired its Belgium-based Gatewing Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) engineering and manufacturing business.
Headquartered in Toulouse, France, Delair-Tech intends to grow the acquired business as part of its portfolio of fixed-wing drones, further consolidating its position in the global commercial UAS market.
“Currently, the drone market is undergoing intense consolidation, and now is the time to strategically position ourselves as leaders of tomorrow,” says Michael de Lagarde, Delair-Tech’s CEO. “The agreement we have reached with Trimble will enable us to reach the critical size required to better respond to the needs of large industrial groups, which are our main target.”
Trimble’s UAS solutions business, Gatewing, is well known in the professional market. This acquisition enables the companies to merge their teams and create synergy between their technologies and know-how, thus significantly increasing capacity for innovation. Delair-Tech’s new acquisition will strengthen the teams that design and produce the company’s industrial mini-drones with the inclusion of the technical staff based in Ghent (Belgium). The company will also increase its total workforce to 100 employees, marking its place as one of the main players in the global professional drone market.
“This transaction is part of our continuing program to tighten our corporate focus,” said Ron Bisio, vice president of Trimble’s Geospatial Division. “Trimble will remain actively engaged in the market by leveraging its brand-agnostic software technology for a broader range of UAS platforms.”
Find suppliers of Fixed-Wing UAVs >
