The Chinese president of the World UAV Federation (WUAVF) and the Shenzhen UAV Industry Association president, Xinkai Yang, were in Greece last weekend. Mr. Yang was accompanied by Chinese industrialists in the unmanned space, preparing the ground for the 1st Automation - Robotics & Drones EXPO, which will be held in Athens on April 12-14, 2024, at the Metropolitan EXPO.
But more than that, the visit of the WUAVF delegation demonstrates China's interest in developments in the Greek drone industry, which has been making leaps and bounds in recent years. The intention is to explore the ground for possible agreements and collaborations between Chinese and Greek companies in the sector, which is experiencing rapid growth - in all sectors - worldwide.
Mr Yang was accompanied by Shenzhen Security and Protection Industry Association Director, Shenzhen UAV Industry Association Deputy Secretary-General Euan Yao, and the People's Republic of China Ambassador, Xiao Junzheng.
The primary purpose of the visit of the multi-member delegation was to inform and get to know the companies and professionals of the Greek drone industry ahead of the 1st Automation - Robotics & Drones EXPO. In this context, the Chinese delegation visited the facilities of the growing Greek civil and military aircraft manufacturing company, Spirit Aeronautical Systems SA (SAS Technology).
It is the first Greek company to successfully design, manufacture and test armed UAVs (with the crowning achievement of the SARISA and AIHMI systems armed with 70 mm rockets) and the first Greek unmanned heavy-duty cargo transport helicopter (currently used by the Fire Service).
There, the delegation members were given a tour by the owner and president of the Spirit World Group (to which SAS belongs), Michalis Spiridakos, and were informed about the company's achievements and goals in research, development and manufacturing of high-quality systems.
During the tour, the members of the delegation underlined the importance of promoting international collaborations in advanced technology, particularly in the rapidly growing global UAV industry.
After all, the federation's purpose is to unite and advance the interests of the global UAV community. It seeks cooperation between manufacturers, businesses and governments, promotes innovation in the field of UAVs, encourages safe use, provides education and awareness, and generally represents the interests of the international UAV community internationally.
Upon completion of the presentation, the president of the International Federation stated that he was impressed by the company's achievements and emphasised his intention to contribute to the more effective cooperation of the company with manufacturing houses in China and internationally that are members of the federation.
