Professional drone usage in Switzerland : results of a quantitative survey of public and private drone users

In recent years, drones have become much more accessible as professional tools for public and private actors. The technology has been integrated into everyday working routines and has created new professional fields. These developments have sparked increased media attention and socio-political debate regarding the opportunities and risks of drone use, and the necessary regulatory response. However, in Switzerland as elsewhere, no detailed study has explored who uses drones, when, where and for what reasons. Addressing this research lacuna, this paper summarizes the main findings of a quantitative survey of public and private drone users in Switzerland. On this basis, the paper highlights the extent, modalities and expected future evolutions of professional drone usage in the country and underscores the related key issues, in economic, privacy- and security-related terms. The paper thus informs citizens, public agencies and the private sector of the various dimensions and effects of current evolutions in the field of drone utilization, raises awareness of the advantages and problems of the technology and, ultimately, favours critical democratic debate.