We welcome Aviant to the Ocean Autonomy Cluster! Aviant is an innovative drone service company that focuses on autonomous transportation with drones.
Transportation with drones has proven to be very valuable within the blue sector, with projects such as Wilhelmsens transport of spare parts to ships in Singapore, and Equinors drone transportation to oil rigs in Stavanger.
Aviants ambition is to do similar projects with their technology.
– We got the idea of joining the Ocean Autonomy Cluster after talking with Frode Halvorsen (Cluster Manager). He introduced us to the cluster, and we believe there are synergies between our company and the other members, says Lars Erik Fagernæs, Aviant CEO.
– We can contribute on all drone related topics in the cluster. More specifically, we would be very interested in looking at partnerships where we provide autonomous transportation with drones, says Fagernæs.
First long-range medical flight
In February 2021, Aviant completed their very first long-range medical flight.
Flying drones in Norway is no trivial task. The weather is harsh, the topography is complex, and the distances are large. If you want to fly in Norway, you need to handle all these challenges.
That is why Aviant set out on the technically challenging task of flying from the hospital in the mountainous village of Røros, to St. Olavs hospital in the regional capital of Trondheim. Røros is famous for breaking records for the lowest temperatures in Norway. To reach Trondheim, they would have to pass tall mountains and deep valleys.
After months of planning and several hundred kilometers of flight testing, the first flight from Røros to Trondheim was finally completed in February 2021- in one of the coldest months of the year! The flight is the first of its kind, and it proves that long-range medical transportation is possible, even in a northern climate.
Be sure to read more about the ambitious Aviant team on their website.
Welcome to the cluster, Aviant!