Customized drones have gotten out of date. That is good and dangerous information

There’s a quiet disaster occurring in a comparatively nook of the drone trade: the businesses that construct {custom} drone options are struggling. And based on the newest information, it’s not a short lived blip — it’s a elementary market shift.

In response to the International State of Drones 2025 report from drone market analysis firm Drone Trade Insights, drone integration and engineering corporations skilled “the sharpest decline” of any sector, with below-average expectations of simply 5.5 out of 10 for the following 12 months. That survey was based mostly on information collected in mid-2025 through a survey of 768 individuals inside the drone trade spanning 87 international locations.

Drone integration and engineering corporations are a typic of enterprise that takes off-the-shelf drone elements and creates bespoke options for particular buyer wants. For instance, that could be a thermal digital camera mounted on a {custom} body for a selected inspection job, or a specialised payload built-in with particular software program for distinctive functions.

A wave of standardization within the drone trade

So what’s up with the decline in {custom} drones? Briefly, drones have gotten standardized merchandise.

“With extra drones available on the market particularly designed for a selected utility, the demand for tailor-made options decreases,” DII’s report wrote.

Take into consideration what occurred with computer systems. Within the Nineteen Eighties and early Nineties, many companies employed consultants to spec out and construct {custom} laptop techniques. At the moment, you purchase a Dell or a Mac, possibly add some software program and also you’re completed. The marketplace for custom-built computer systems nonetheless exists, however it’s tiny in comparison with the standardized product market. Drones are actually following the identical path.

For instance, DJI now makes devoted agricultural drones just like the DJI Agras T50 with built-in spray techniques. There are purpose-built inspection drones with built-in thermal cameras and zoom lenses. Mapping drones include RTK GPS modules already put in. Firms like UVify promote devoted gentle present drones.

Nowadays, the query has shifted from “Who can construct us a {custom} answer?” to “Which off-the-shelf product ought to we purchase?”

The funding issue

The decline of {custom} drone options is accelerated by the broader funding disaster within the trade.

“Restricted entry to funding will immediate shoppers to assume twice earlier than investing in a tailored answer,” DII’s report famous

When an organization should buy a DJI Matrice 30 for inspection work for round $10,000 to $14,000, the case for spending $50,000 or extra on a {custom} answer turns into a lot tougher to justify. That’s very true when enterprise funding is scarce and CFOs are scrutinizing each expenditure.

Typically a standardized answer that meets 85% of your wants for 20% of the value beats a {custom} answer that meets 100% of your wants at 5 instances the price — no less than in most company finance departments.

So is customization good or dangerous?

Now earlier than you go crying that the sky is falling, let me weigh out the argument for standardization (and why customization just isn’t essentially a very good factor). However, I’ll additionally speak about why customization is really nice.

The counterargument: Standardization is nice

Now earlier than you go crying that the sky is falling, let me say this. Customized builds aren’t essentially the perfect answer both. Upkeep requires particular experience. Elements aren’t interchangeable. Scaling is sort of unattainable. Standardized merchandise clear up all these issues.

A development firm should buy the identical mapping drone that its competitor makes use of, prepare operators utilizing the identical on-line programs, swap components from inventory stock and improve to newer fashions with out ranging from scratch. An worker switching corporations may already be accustomed to the yech at their new job.

The place {custom} nonetheless wins

There are nonetheless areas the place {custom} options make sense:

Army and protection functions: Safety necessities, specialised missions and distinctive operational environments nonetheless demand bespoke options. Off-the-shelf shopper drones usually don’t lower it while you want encrypted communications, particular payload capacities, or integration with current navy techniques.

Industrial inspection in excessive environments: Whereas normal inspection drones work for many functions, some industrial environments — confined areas, excessive temperatures, explosive atmospheres — proceed to require specialised builds.

Analysis and scientific functions: Educational researchers and scientists usually want particular sensor mixtures or flight traits that don’t exist in industrial merchandise.

Excessive-value infrastructure: While you’re inspecting a billion-dollar bridge or dam, spending $100,000 on a wonderfully optimized {custom} system may make sense.

steadiness the transfer away from {custom} drones

So what ought to integration and engineering corporations do to outlive?

Turn into service suppliers: As a substitute of promoting {custom} {hardware}, some engineering corporations are pivoting to providing providers utilizing off-the-shelf tools. They’re competing on experience and execution moderately than distinctive know-how.

Concentrate on software program and customization: Somewhat than constructing {custom} airframes, corporations are creating specialised software program, {custom} workflows or distinctive information processing pipelines that work with normal drones.

Associate with producers: Some former {custom} drone makers as a substitute have gotten regional specialists or licensed integrators for main producers, primarily changing into subtle sellers moderately than unbiased engineers.

Vertically combine into particular industries: Somewhat than being generalist integrators, some are going deep into particular industries (like mining or maritime) the place they’ll construct specialised experience that justifies premium pricing.

Is the shortage of cutom drones a foul factor?

For the engineers and companies that constructed their livelihoods on {custom} integration, sure, it’s painful and disruptive. These are sometimes extremely expert professionals who invested years studying specialised data that’s changing into much less related.

For the drone trade broadly? Most likely not. Standardization permits scale, reduces prices, improves reliability and makes drones accessible to extra customers. That’s how know-how progresses.

For finish customers? Positively not. They get higher merchandise at decrease costs with simpler upkeep and extra assist choices.

The parallel with different know-how industries is instructive. The decline of {custom} laptop builders didn’t damage the pc trade — it enabled explosive development. The shift from {custom} software program growth to SaaS merchandise didn’t damage the software program trade — it created trillion-dollar corporations.

The drone trade is experiencing what each know-how trade ultimately faces: the transition from craft manufacturing to mass manufacturing, from {custom} options to standardized merchandise, from high-touch providers to scalable platforms.

It’s uncomfortable, it’s disruptive and it leaves casualties. However it’s additionally essential for the trade to achieve its potential. The {custom} integration corporations that survive can be these serving really specialised niches or those who efficiently pivot to new worth propositions.

In case you made it this far, it in all probability means you discovered my evaluation of the drone trade no less than considerably fascinating! And since you probably did, please think about making a one-time or recurring donation to TheDroneGirl.com. I write these tales as a aspect venture as a result of it brings me pleasure, however it additionally brings me hosting prices.

If you wish to assist cowl my hosting charges (which maintain creeping up with inflation!), please donate to TheDroneGirl on PayPal!

Associated