Applus+ Highlights Digitalisation and Workforce Development at the Drone Industry Summit 2025

The Evolving Industry Landscape

The TIC sector is undergoing a profound transformation. Asset-intensive industries face increasing pressure from globalised supply chains, heightened ESG requirements, and regulatory frameworks such as Australia’s SOCI Act. Traditional, point-in-time inspections are no longer sufficient to manage operational risk, ensure compliance, or achieve sustainability goals.

At the same time, RPAS technology is rapidly changing how inspections are carried out across energy, infrastructure, and public safety sectors. Drones provide safer, more efficient data capture but also raise important considerations around compliance, cybersecurity, and data integrity. To meet these challenges, the industry must balance technological innovation with strong governance and a highly skilled workforce.

The Applus+ Solution

At the Drone Industry Summit, Applus+ shared how it is responding to these challenges by embedding digitalisation at the core of its services:

• Advanced Data Capture – Using RPAS, LiDAR, photogrammetry, and non-destructive testing to deliver accurate, high-quality data for asset integrity management.
• Digital Twins & Predictive Analytics – Creating living digital records of assets to enable continuous monitoring, reduce downtime, and support risk-based assurance.
• Cybersecurity & Compliance – Delivering secure, encrypted platforms aligned with international standards to protect data integrity and regulatory trust.
• Sustainability Leadership – Supporting client decarbonisation through emissions validation, reduced operational impacts, and initiatives such as electric RPAS fleets.
• Workforce Development – Building structured career pathways for RPAS pilots, digital inspectors, and compliance auditors, ensuring personnel are equipped with cross-disciplinary skills and ongoing training.

Christopher Louw’s presentation emphasised the importance of training personnel to acquire reliable data using advanced inspection methods, ensuring Applus+ clients can make safety-critical decisions with confidence.

Broader Industry Insights

The Drone Industry Summit also showcased the sector’s progress, including:

• Updates on evolving regulations and safe approval processes.
• Demonstrations of Drone-in-a-Box operational models.
• Applications of drones in frontline policing to enhance safety outcomes.
• Emerging compliance software tools to improve operational efficiency.

Together, these insights highlighted how RPAS is advancing both technological innovation and regulatory alignment across industries.

Collaborating for Future Growth

Applus+ believes the value of human expertise will not diminish but evolve. Over the next five years, the company expects growing demand for highly trained digital capture specialists, structured career pathways for RPAS professionals, and an increased need for multi-skilled competencies across diverse sectors.
By investing in workforce development, building strategic partnerships, and delivering scalable, digitally enabled solutions, Applus+ is positioned to lead the shift toward continuous, predictive, and risk-based assurance models.

Results and Conclusions

The Drone Industry Summit 2025 was a valuable opportunity for collaboration and knowledge sharing. Applus+’s participation reinforced its role as a trusted partner in advancing drone-enabled inspections while ensuring safety, compliance, and efficiency.

As RPAS adoption accelerates, Applus+ remains committed to helping clients harness the benefits of digitalisation and data-driven assurance, while upholding independence, integrity, and trust.