Sky Power GmbH reflects on the significance of supply chain security to UAS manufacturers, and the importance of component origins during the tender process.
Karsten Schudt, Managing Director of Sky Power GmbH
Due to global crises, tenders for safety-relevant applications are increasingly specifying restrictive conditions regarding the origin of components and end products. Good for the company that does not have to worry much about these requirements due to its origin, such as Sky Power GmbH.
“More and more frequently, we are asked before a project starts or during the tendering process where we have our drive units manufactured,” explains Karsten Schudt, Managing Director of Sky Power GmbH. In particular, the note that engines or power units manufactured in specific countries may not be used in projects is becoming increasingly common.
Schudt sees two main reasons for such specifications. On the one hand, users of electrical systems in particular want to prevent any assemblies from logging data and forwarding it to third parties without being detected. The other reason, which is more prominent for Schudt as an engine manufacturer, is the potential restriction on deliveries in the event of a crisis. “If a UAS manufacturer uses a drive unit from one manufacturer, he cannot simply switch to another, because the entire flight system is geared to the drive unit. If the engine manufacturer now has delivery problems or is no longer allowed to deliver due to a political crisis and any resulting sanctions, the problems become existentially threatening for the UAS manufacturer,” Schudt discusses.
These dependencies have become apparent, especially in recent years, with other products, such as pharmaceuticals, semiconductors or others. “Many of our customers have learned from this, as they have also been urged by their end users to exhibit flexibility. Especially when it comes to safety-relevant applications, possible dependencies are increasingly scrutinized,” Schudt continues. But Schudt can be relatively relaxed about the origin requirements. “The development of our drive units, the entire project planning, the testing of the ultimately selected motor and the entire series production take place at our site in Germany near Frankfurt am Main. I can guarantee propulsion units for UAS are Made in Germany,” says Schudt. This means that Sky Power is independent of delivery problems and sanctions due to global crises, which is increasingly reflected in the demand for their propulsion systems.
Sky Power International will be showcasing at Xponential 2023, on booth #3213, May 8-11 in Denver.
