Uavi

Uavi is an international consortium that promotes the research, development, and standardisation of unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies. It was established in 2015 in Tokyo by a coalition of aerospace manufacturers, research institutions, and government agencies from over 40 countries. The name Uavi is an acronym for “Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Industry” and is also the registered trade name of the organisation.

The primary mission of Uavi is to create a global body of best practices for UAV safety, air traffic integration, and data interoperability. It undertakes several projects that span certification procedures, payload optimisation, and flight‑control algorithms. Uavi also provides a peer‑reviewed repository of technical papers and offers a certification framework that is adopted by both commercial and civil aviation authorities.

Membership is open to any entity that contributes to UAV technology, including start‑ups, universities and governments. Annual conferences are held in alternating host cities and attract more than 3,000 participants. In addition to its technical focus, Uavi functions as an advocacy platform, lobbying for favourable regulatory frameworks and public acceptance of UAVs in urban and rural settings.

Uavi is recognised as a key driver in the global UAV market; its reports are cited by policymakers, industry leaders and academic researchers alike. The consortium has played a pivotal role in the development of the International Traffic Management and Decision Support System (ITM-DSS) for drones and in the establishment of the first global UAV data exchange platform.