DRONE FUTURES: ROAD TO 2040 – Foresight from Central Europe

Central Europe faces many serious challenges – security, economic competitiveness and demography being just the most obvious. Harnessing drone technology may become part of the solutions.

The future is always in the making, shaped as much by our actions as by our inactions. Strategic foresight is not about predicting the future – it is about exploring alternative futures. It does not provide simple or definitive answers. Instead, it invites to engage in a practical exploration of the forces shaping the future of drones.

Facta Pro Futura is proud to have partnered with the Adapt Institute on DRONE FUTURES: ROAD TO 2040 – Foresight from Central Europe. This report is aimed to help those who believe in agency and wish to identify opportunities and risks before they fully emerge.

The report examines how drone technologies are transforming - and will continue to transform the world. While regionally grounded in Central Europe, its findings have broader relevance.

Designed as a practical guide primarily for business leaders and policymakers, it provides insights into the profound shifts driven by drone integration. The goal is to help readers ask the right questions and focus on the key issues that inform investments, regulation, infrastructure development, and strategic planning – maximising benefits while minimising risks.

By testing assumptions, examining critical uncertainties, and identifying eight drivers of change, the report highlights how drones could reshape competitiveness, security, and societal well-being. It presents four alternative scenarios for future development, outlines major risks and opportunities, and offers actionable recommendations to help businesses and policymakers proactively shape a drone integrated future.