By admin 
Drones are no longer mere science fiction. Their importance to industry, logistics, and security forces is soaring, making them an integral component of modern airspace. How will artificial intelligence, blockchain, and cybersecurity shape the next phase of this “drone revolution”? And what role does Europe have to play—especially if it hesitates and risks losing its position on the global chessboard?
In an open conversation, Jakub Karas, co-founder and director of UpVision (part of CSG Aerospace), pulls back the curtain on drone testing under real operational conditions, explains the threats and opportunities of the new U-space era, and reveals why today’s battle for airspace is unfolding not only in the business sphere but also in conflicts that are fundamentally changing the nature of warfare.
It is precisely in these conflicts that we see how drone technology can overturn long-standing assumptions about strategy and tactics. In the hands of innovators such as UpVision, drones are no longer just flying machines, but rather intelligent, precision tools capable of tipping the balance of power. How far is Europe willing to go in this technological race—and who will ultimately come out on top?
Jakubb Karas, co-founder and director of UpVision
A Year of Innovation: How UpVision’s Research and Development Has Evolved
Jakub Karas:
“In the past year, we devoted ourselves fully to further developing and integrating our U-space platform. We want to serve not only as a Czech but also as a European U-space service provider—a key player ensuring that drones can operate in airspace both safely and in advanced ways. Under European regulations, we need to guarantee four fundamental services: flight authorization, network identification, geo-awareness, and traffic information.
To accomplish this, we have to fine-tune the communication between our platform and each of these services. This also ties into our research projects and in collaboration with CSG Aerospace, CS Soft, and ATRAK. For instance, we have been involved in projects testing how our U-space system holds up under real-world operational conditions.
We also provided guidance on regulations and legislation to companies seeking to conduct advanced drone operations beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS). For example, E.ON tested powerline inspections with two drones flying simultaneously, using LIDAR data for autonomous mapping of power poles. Because BVLOS operations in the Czech Republic require special authorization, we assisted them with drafting their CONOPS (Concept of Operations) and risk assessments.”
ATM-EXCITE: Connecting Civilian and Military Operations
Question: What is the ATM-EXCITE project, and why is it crucial for European airspace?
Jakub Karas:
“ATM-EXCITE is a two-and-a-half-year project under SESAR, led by a Spanish entity. Our consortium partners include representatives from Italy, Germany, and the Technical University of Košice. Here at UpVision, we oversee two work packages focused on cybersecurity and data exchange in the ATM (Air Traffic Management) environment.
The main goal? To improve the coordination and safety of data management so that civil and military aviation can be better interconnected. This is not merely a technological challenge but also a legislative one: in order to share data, we need to ensure anonymization and filter out false signals. Military traffic often requires that sensitive information remain confidential, while the civil sector demands openness for safe operations. Balancing these requirements on a European scale is complex—but absolutely essential.”
Key challenges within ATM-EXCITE:
- Anonymization: Ensuring that military data is not freely accessible.
- Cybersecurity: Maintaining high resilience against potential misuse.
- False Signals: Filtering out disruptive or deceptive data (e.g., fake ADS-B signals).
MEDuSA: A GNSS-Based Revolution in Drone Detection
Question: What makes MEDuSA so groundbreaking, and why is it more effective than traditional radar systems?
Jakub Karas:
“The MEDuSA project (supported by ESA) replaces classic radar-based drone detection with an innovative solution leveraging GNSS technology authenticated via the Galileo OSNMA service. Why? Cameras and radars can fail in fog, low visibility, or adverse weather. GNSS signals, on the other hand, are available virtually 24/7—day or night, in fog or rain.
In practice, sensors are placed around the perimeter of a protected area (e.g., an airport or critical infrastructure). These sensors constantly communicate with satellites. By authenticating the signal, they can determine in real time whether a drone is moving through the area and detect if its signal has been distorted, jammed, or spoofed. Unlike camera or radar systems, this technology isn’t as vulnerable to weather conditions and can continue functioning effectively even when visibility is poor.
This year, we plan a testing campaign at Prague Airport to validate how reliably MEDuSA performs in real operations and to find the ideal number of sensors for a given space.”
CERTIFLIGHT: Blockchain and Galileo OSNMA for Verifying Flights
Question: What is this “box” for, and why is blockchain-based verification so crucial?
Jakub Karas:
“CERTIFLIGHT (also called the UTM Box) is a device for remote ID—it transmits the drone’s identification while simultaneously verifying its position with authenticated GNSS data. It contains a Galileo OSNMA receiver, a service capable of confirming the authenticity of GNSS signals, so that will establish the”chain of trust” of flight position information of drones or ultralight aircrafts.
Every flight record with authenticated positioning data is saved through a dedicated blockchain, providing indisputable proof that the drone actually flew at a specific place and time. This is vital for security services and applications, which need to ensure that a drone stayed within an approved flight area, and for companies performing infrastructure inspections that must validate the authenticity of their data (e.g., inventory checks in cement plants, monitoring of industrial sites, etc.).
We have already tested this during validation campaigns in the Czech Republic and through use case examples with ČEZ Distribuce and cement factories. In the future, it could function much like a tachograph in trucks—flight records would be both trustworthy and virtually impossible to manipulate.”
Artificial Intelligence in Air Traffic Management: What Will 2035 Bring?
Question: You recently attended a workshop in Rome focusing on AI’s role in ATM. How is UpVision getting involved?
Jakub Karas:
“EASA has already introduced guidelines for levels of AI—Level 1 and 2 (assistance and partial autonomy), and they aim to define Level 3 by next year. It’s expected that by around 2035, AI at Level 2 or even Level 3 might be widely deployed.
Already today, AI helps analyze images (for detecting drones, birds, or debris on the runway), optimize flight paths, and predict airport capacity. There is also discussion about AI possibly evaluating situations independently and recommending specific actions to an air traffic controller.
At UpVision, we are also working within the ATM-EXCITE project on how to leverage AI for more operational efficient between civilian and military traffic. In the future, AI could dynamically reconfigure airspace to accommodate the increasing number of drones—vital for the expansion of drone deliveries.”
U-space in the Czech Republic: Collaboration with CTU and Air Navigation Services
Question: What is the current state of U-space in the Czech Republic, and what are your plans for this year?
Jakub Karas:
“In the Czech Republic, a pilot U-space implementation project is underway in cooperation with CTU (Czech Technical University), the Air Navigation Services, and other partners. This year, we’re preparing demonstration flights with various scenarios—from conventional piloted aircraft to multiple drones that communicate with each other and share airspace in real time.
Our main task is to show stakeholders—such as the Ministry of Transport—that declaring a U-space area isn’t just theoretical. We can truly differentiate drones flying beyond visual line of sight and coordinate them in real time, handle emergency scenarios, and quickly reconfigure the airspace if, for instance, an air ambulance needs to fly through.
One of the challenges is for example something called conformance monitoring—if a drone deviates from its planned trajectory, the system must identify it, assess the collision risk, and alert the operator or air traffic controller in time.”
Lessons from Ukraine: A Conflict Redefining the Rules of Engagement
Question: How has the conflict in Ukraine influenced drone development and security measures?
Jakub Karas:
“Ukraine has become a testing ground: what works today may not work tomorrow. New forms of electronic warfare, jamming, and countermeasures are constantly emerging. We’re seeing widespread use of FPV drones, which can operate 10 to 30 kilometers from the front lines, often carrying explosives.
There’s also a growing trend of using fiber-optic cables for FPV drones: the pilot remains safely behind the front, controlling the drone via a spool of cable that can be ten kilometers or longer, allowing stable drone control with high-quality video feed even in heavily jammed environments. In some cases, these drones can strike military vehicles with pinpoint accuracy—sometimes even flying through an armored vehicle’s window. As a result, electronic warfare is becoming a critical domain, prompting drone manufacturers to enhance resilience and explore new communication methods.
For Europe, this conflict serves as a wake-up call, revealing the importance of self-sufficiency in critical components (batteries, motors, chipsets) and exposing gaps in both regulation and the rapid deployment of new technologies. We face intense competition from Asia and the U.S., where fewer constraints often enable faster innovation.”
The Future of Drone Transport: When Will Large-Scale Adoption Arrive?
Jakub Karas:
“Key factors include a unified legislative framework and harmonized rules across Europe and globally. EASA regulations continue to evolve, with the upcoming SORA 2.5 (Specific Operations Risk Assessment) providing more detailed quantitative risk assessments. This increases precision but also complexity for operators and regulatory authorities.
Meanwhile, in places like Ireland, they are already using drones to deliver packages – even icecreams, with hundreds or even thousands of flights daily in some parts of Dublin. In the U.S., companies like Joby and Archer are close to certifying eVTOL aircraft for passenger transport, while in China, EHang personal drones are already flying without a pilot on board. Europe sometimes hinders itself with strict regulations or public acceptance issues—as evidenced in Paris, where plans to operate eVTOL flights during the Olympics were canceled.
Furthermore, a viable business case is essential. Until there’s clear economic benefit, large-scale operations will remain in the testing and demonstration stage. Government support would help significantly, much like with medical flights for transporting blood samples or medication, where drones can truly save both time and money and even life in some cases.”
Final Perspective: Risks, Opportunities, and a Revolution in the Air
This conversation with Jakub Karas underscores that widespread drone deployment is not just a futuristic ideal; it demands meticulous legislative, technological, and security preparation. While U-space platforms promise seamless integration of unmanned flights into ordinary air traffic, questions remain—ranging from cybersecurity and data anonymization to the economic sustainability of drone projects.
One thing is clear: the revolution is already underway. Whether it’s MEDuSA detecting drones in any weather conditions, CERTIFLIGHT providing indisputable verification of flights, or ATM-EXCITE coordinating military and civilian air operations, UpVision is at the forefront. As Karas sums it up:
“If Europe can respond quickly, align regulations, and support technological innovation, we could witness a sweeping transformation in both transport and infrastructure. But this will require risk-taking and the courage to innovate. I hope we succeed—and that drones become not just the future, but a present-day reality we can all benefit from.”
Interviewed by: Katerina Urbanova
Photo Credit: UpVision