International Drone Show 2025 Draws Record Attendees for Live Demos & Exhibitions

The 2025 International Drone Show brought together over 1,000 participants, showcasing drone advancements for defense, mobility, and infrastructure across live demonstrations and conferences By William Mackenzie / 04 Jul 2025

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International Drone Show 2025 Draws Record Attendees for Live Demos & Exhibitions
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The International Drone Show (IDS) set a new attendance record this year, convening more than 1,000 industry players across defense, energy, agriculture, mobility, and critical infrastructure.

Organized by Odense Robotics and UAS Denmark Test Center, IDS 2025 was held at HCA Airport in Odense, Denmark, on June 18-19. Reportedly the largest B2B drone event in Northern Europe, IDS attracted visitors from all over the world to learn more about the use of drones across a range of industries.

In addition to 28 live drone technology demos and over 80 exhibitors, the event offered an extensive conference and debate track with +50 international speakers.

Søren Elmer Kristensen, CEO of Odense Robotics, commented, “The drone industry is in an extremely exciting phase of development, with new drone technologies close to breakthroughs in several industries – not only in security and defence, but also in sectors such as energy, agriculture and logistics. That’s why events like the International Drone Show are crucial, giving attendees the opportunity to gain new inspiration, strengthen their network and gain insight into the most important trends in the industry.”

Michael Larsen, Head of UAS Denmark Test Center, added, “In all modesty, we believe that we have succeeded in creating an event that brings the industry together across countries, industries and value chains. One of our stated ambitions with the International Drone Show is to create a forum for innovation and knowledge sharing, and we are therefore delighted that so many visitors from all over the world prioritised coming to Odense, which already has a strong development environment for drones.”

Defense & Security

One of the conference themes was ‘Defense, Security & the Arctic’, which focused on developments in drone and counter-drone technologies for military and security operations.

Other conference themes included the use of drones for Advanced Air Mobility, the integration of manned and unmanned air traffic in European airspace, and the opportunities and challenges of using drones in areas such as energy, agriculture and logistics.

Throughout both days, there were live demos of various drone technologies, including from Ukrainian drone manufacturers such as Skyeton, Skyfall, and UKRSPEC Systems.

Industry Collaboration

Mathias Lieblein Rørbæk Vinter, Head of Drone Excellence at DSV, said, “I’ve attended every International Drone Show over the years, and for me it’s always valuable to meet with the industry. This year I’ve been really surprised by how much the event has grown – and how many people have gathered here. It has definitely exceeded my expectations.”

Stergios Isaakidis, Programme Manager, Alliance Ground Surveillance and Uncrewed Aerial Systems, NATO Support and Procurement Agency (NSPA), stated, “As a representative of NSPA, the International Drone Show is an obvious place for us to be – both to meet the industry and to engage with representatives from different nations. The technologies showcased here align well with the operational needs we see across our UAS programmes. At the same time, it provides a valuable opportunity to share upcoming needs, explain how we work and show how industry can partner with NSPA going forward.”

Next year’s International Drone Show will be held on 3-4 June 2026.

Posted by William Mackenzie Will is a Content Specialist at Unmanned Systems Technology. Joining in 2024 with a background in professional copywriting and content marketing, Will covers the latest advancements in robotics, sensors, and unmanned systems across land, air, and maritime domains. His writing brings a clear, informed perspective to emerging technologies and their applications in both commercial and defense markets. Connect
Advancing Unmanned Systems Through Strategic Collaboration UST works with major OEMs to foster collaboration and increase engagement with SMEs, to accelerate innovation and drive unmanned systems capabilities forward.