Problem Statement
Unmanned Aerial Vehicles (UAVs) represent a broad and diverse category of aircraft originally developed for military applications. Over the decades, with numerous technological advancements, UAVs have found their way into various civil applications, experiencing consistent and steady growth. The UAV market is projected to be valued at $48.5 billion by 2029, with a compound annual growth rate (CAGR) of 9.9% from 2024 to 2029. Despite this significant market potential, many areas of future expansion remain unexplored due to technological and legal challenges that still need to be addressed.
FAST Aerospace (FAST), an Italian startup operating in the field of space launchers, wants to investigate the UAVs market to estimate the potential impact of a side business on its main core activities. This auxiliary venture, named MiniDart Com, involves a small, subsonic, fixed-wing drone with a modular payload attachment, targeting the Italian and European markets.
This report presents a comprehensive investigation of the opportunity constituted by this aircraft. Firstly, an in-depth analysis of the environment and UAV market is carried out, together with an internal assessment of thecurrent state of the company, FAST. Then, strategic alternatives are presented and compared with each other, presenting the advantages and disadvantages of the different solutions. The selected option is tested through a validation process conducted with the contribution of sector experts. Final remarks are presented, together with proposed areas of further focus and investigation. These steps have been performed iteratively to refine the data retrieved, to ensure a good balance between project complexity and profitability. The work done not only educates FAST about the specific decision related to MiniDart Com but also serves as a guide for evaluating future side business candidates.