Westcott Drone Test and Development Centre (DTDC), launched in 2023 by the Satellite Applications Catapult, is undergoing a major upgrade to its facilities to increase its capacity and capabilities.
Drone companies will now be able to test their products and solutions at a much earlier stage in the development process in a safe and controlled environment.
The DTDC received £1.4million in funding from Buckinghamshire Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP), now managed by the Buckinghamshire Growth Board following the transition of the LEP into Buckinghamshire Council last year.
The DTDC is upgrading to service a broader variety of drone companies and deepen the amount of support available. These new capabilities will allow companies to bring their innovative solutions to market much more rapidly.
The development and expansion of the DTDC is a sign of growing demand for drone operations and will support flight operations both here in the UK and globally. The cutting-edge facility compliments Westcott’s commitment to innovation and will be used to develop and enhance services to build a world-class drone services hub here in Buckinghamshire.
The new upgrades at the DTDC include:
Martin Tett, Buckinghamshire Council’s Leader and Chair of Buckinghamshire’s Growth Board, said: “It’s great to see further innovation within the Westcott Space Cluster driven by the Drone Test and Development Centre. We are proud to have provided Getting Building Funds to help establish this pioneering new facility and see the potential this offers to further develop the Buckinghamshire Enterprise Zone."
“We hope the centre will continue to help shape and transform private and commercial aviation over the next decade and will further establish the county as a global centre of excellence in drone and space technology.”
Richard Lowe, Chief Technology Officer, Satellite Applications Catapult, said: “Drones and automated vehicles are going to be a major source of future growth for the UK. These facility upgrades provide even more support for drone innovation at Westcott. We’re creating extra capacity to host more companies, and new facilities to help them develop their technology. The addition of a drone cage and sensor test range in particular, mean that companies with new and uncertified technologies can now test both their hardware and software in a safe and controlled environment.”
The DTDC site is a former RAF base and has a 270m runway, four dedicated landing pads for vertical, or vertical to horizontal take-off, and multiple flying areas offering real-world environments.
Future plans for the site also include the development of Beyond Visual Line of Sight (BVLOS) capabilities.
