Poland announces €135 Million “Drone Valley” project

Poland plans to establish a national centre for the certification and development of unmanned systems, known as “Drone Valley,” in the municipality of Tuszów Narodowy in the Subcarpathian Voivodeship.

The project was announced at a press conference by Małgorzata Jarosińska-Jedynak, a member of the regional executive board, according to Polish media.

The total cost of the initiative is estimated at around 135 million zlotys, with 42 million zlotys — roughly €8–10 million — set to be financed through the European Union program “European Funds for Subcarpathia.” Jarosińska-Jedynak said preparations for the investment have been underway for several years.

Once completed, the centre will be the first facility in the European Union capable of conducting full certification of drones across classes ranging from C0 to C6. It is expected to receive accreditation from the Polish Centre for Accreditation and formal notification from the Civil Aviation Authority.

The planned complex will occupy a 13-hectare site and will include a research building with a flight control tower, a hangar, and two runways. Negotiations to acquire the land are currently ongoing, alongside public consultations related to the project.

Agnieszka Wojdyło, deputy director of the Department of Regional Development, said the agreement is expected to be signed by the end of the year. She added that the project involves experts who previously participated in the development of a similar “Drone Valley” in the US state of Nevada.

In addition, a congress dedicated to unmanned technologies is scheduled to take place in late September in Jasionka, near the city of Rzeszów.

By Tamilla Hasanova