As technologies evolve under Industry 4.0, new markets are rapidly emerging. This article explores how drones and digital technologies are being applied to modern monitoring challenges. There’s a growing need for efficient, safe, and automated monitoring, particularly in sectors like infrastructure and ecological management. Let’s examine how Aero EDIH-supported startups are developing solutions to address these demands.
Forest Inspection – Gi Lift
Ash plays a vital ecological role in forests, especially as modern forestry practices increasingly disrupt natural nutrient cycles. Intensive methods like clear-cutting, whole-tree harvesting, and the removal of logging residues strip the soil of essential nutrients that would otherwise return through decomposition. This nutrient depletion necessitates reintroducing minerals manually, with wood ash being a proven, sustainable solution.
Traditionally, ash is applied using heavy ground vehicles which is time-consuming, damages soil and often results in uneven distribution. Gi Lift offers a compelling alternative using multirotor drones. Launched from a central platform, these drones autonomously pick up ash containers (up to 500 kg) directly from a truck bed and can cover up to 15 hectares of forest per day. The drones deliver precise, even ash distribution with minimal environmental disturbance. Drone batteries and ash containers are swapped simultaneously during quick turnaround operations, optimizing efficiency. This method enables sustainable and scalable nutrient restoration for modern forestry.
Aero EDIH support
GI Lift has benefited from our Support to Find Investment services, partly through our involvement in developing the company’s prospectus used for fundraising purposes, and partly by taking part in one of our pitch events dedicated to the Low Altitude Industry during the autumn of 2025.
Visit their website: www.gilift.se
Digitalized infrastructure monitoring
Infrastructure monitoring is critical for public safety and operational efficiency. Traditional inspection methods often involve costly equipment, manual labour, and safety risks particularly in challenging environments. With the advancement of drone technology, AI, and extended reality, Aero EDIH-backed startups are redefining how we assess and maintain essential infrastructure. Below, we explore three key areas: concrete structures, powerlines, and airports.
Concrete Structures – Spotscale
Inspecting concrete structures is necessary for ensuring structural integrity, safety, and longevity. Over time, materials degrade due to factors like freeze–thaw cycles, heavy loads, and corrosive environments. Regular inspections help detect early signs of deterioration, such as cracks, spalling, or exposed rebar, before they escalate into costly repairs or catastrophic failures. Traditional inspection methods like rope access and scaffolding are time-consuming, hazardous, and expensive.
Spotscale addresses these challenges using drone-based data collection combined with AI-driven photogrammetry through its Redetect AI™ platform. High-resolution images are used to generate detailed 3D models of entire concrete surfaces. The AI detects micro-cracks as small as 0.2 mm, identifies spalling and rebar exposure, and assigns unique IDs to monitor changes over time. This results in highly scalable, precise, and repeatable condition assessments, hence transforming drone data into actionable insights for infrastructure maintenance.
Aero EDIH support
Spotscale has benefited from our Testing before Investment services, including a validation test of new methods to capture input imagery to its Concrete Crack Inspection Services.
Visit their website: www.spotscale.com
Powerlines – Synclair Vision
Maintaining powerlines is crucial for a reliable and safe electricity supply. These structures are vulnerable to weather damage, corrosion, and wear-and-tear. Traditional inspections which often involving helicopters or manual inspections are costly, slow, and pose safety risks.
Synclair Vision revolutionizes this process by addressing a key bottleneck in drone inspections: training AI systems to interpret complex aerial imagery. Rather than relying solely on real-world data, Synclair uses a synthetic data pipeline powered by Unreal Engine 5.4 and UnrealCV to generate realistic images and pixel-perfect segmentation masks. This allows for rapid training of detection algorithms under diverse conditions, improving robustness and accuracy. By reducing dependency on real drone flights, Synclair offers a smart, scalable, and cost-effective solution for deploying AI in infrastructure monitoring.
Aero EDIH support
Synclair Vision has received our Support to Find Investment services, including introductions to potential investors and participation in our pre-investment preparation activities. Through our Testing before Investment services, we also supported the company in validating its innovative solution designed to address one of the industry’s key challenges — the high development costs and technical complexity associated with AI-driven camera technology — by demonstrating its functionality and potential impact in a relevant environment.
Visit their website: www.synclairvision.com
Link to Success Story: www.aeroedih.eu/success-story
Airports – Imitera
Airports are intricate environments where safety, logistics, and operations must function seamlessly. Routine inspections and emergency preparedness are especially challenging at regional airports with limited resources. Traditional training methods struggle to replicate real-world scenarios and are often costly, time-consuming, and environmentally taxing.
Imitera transforms airport training through advanced XR (extended reality) solutions. Using high-fidelity photogrammetry and 3D modelling, Imitera creates interactive, immersive virtual environments that simulate complex events such as fire rescue operations or emergency landings . These training modules support full embodiment, multi-user collaboration, real-time interaction, and centralized scenario management without long onboarding. This approach not only raises the standard for operational readiness but also allows for scalable, cost-effective, and environmentally sustainable training across multiple facilities.
Aero EDIH support
Imitera AB has made use of our Support to Find Investment services, both through our support in preparing the company’s prospectus for upcoming fundraising activities and by participating in one of our pitch events focused on the Low Altitude Industry during the autumn of 2025.
Visit their website: www.imitera.com
Existing demand for smarter, safer, and more sustainable solutions is uncovered by startups on our Aero EDIH platform. Whether it’s restoring forest health, preventing wildlife hazards, or ensuring infrastructure resilience, these companies are deploying cutting-edge technologies to solve real-world problems. By integrating automation, precision, and scalability, they are not only redefining industry standards but also paving the way for a safer and more efficient future across forestry, aviation, energy, and public infrastructure.
