In 2026, Finland significantly updated its approach to unmanned tech. Drone technologies are being rapidly developed for both civilian and military use. West Avia is helping to explore and strengthen this new frontier.
InnoCities is a national network of 16 urban regions that is developing internationally competitive innovation and business ecosystems. It has been reported on September 17 that several of its projects have received government funding. One of such projects is FiDE.
FiDE – Finnish Drone Ecosystem creates a nationally connected framework for developing, testing and demonstrating drone technologies and services in Finland. It connects companies, RDI organisations, public-sector actors and test environments, enables companies to carry out practical experiments, develops replicable experimentation models and expands Finnish testing capabilities.
FiDE will create a more systematic pathway from technology development to practical testing and real-world applications.
Through rapid experiments, national test environment networking, common RDI services, communication and procurement support, FiDE aims to create a more systematic pathway from technology development to practical testing and real-world applications.
FiDE will create a more systematic pathway from technology development to practical testing and real-world applications.
Another major activity is the development of a national network of drone and urban air mobility test environments. FiDE will bring together Finnish test environments and describe their capabilities and services in a comparable way. It will also benchmark domestic and international test environments, develop a common taxonomy, and create a searchable service map. Standardised “test environment cards” will provide companies and other users with practical information about the capabilities and services available in different locations.
FiDE aims to make Finland’s testing infrastructure more accessible and easier to utilise
Through this work, FiDE aims to make Finland’s existing testing infrastructure more accessible and easier to utilise. Companies should be able to identify where a particular technology or use case can be tested, what expertise is available, and how they can progress from an initial idea towards practical experimentation and real-world validation.
FiDE develops the wider RDI service structure of the drone ecosystem. The project creates mechanisms for identifying research and development partners, accessing rapid experimentation opportunities and connecting companies with relevant expertise and infrastructure.
COLLABORATION BETWEEN COMPANIES AND public stakeholders
The project also addresses public procurement and market development. Guidance and practical materials will be developed to help public-sector organisations formulate procurement processes and calls for tenders in a way that is clear and understandable for technology providers. This can help create stronger connections between emerging drone solutions, public-sector needs and potential future markets.
The project includes phased rapid experiments involving 2–3 companies. The planned approach enables technologies to first undergo technical testing at Oulu University of Applied Sciences and subsequently move into real-world pilot operations in the West Avia test environment in Seinäjoki.
West Avia offers its facilities and expertise
West Avia has a key role within this wider national ecosystem. The FiDE application recognises Into Seinäjoki’s experience in urban aviation, drone logistics and airport development, as well as the development of the West Avia unmanned aviation test environment at Seinäjoki Airport. This provides FiDE with an environment where technologies and services can progress from technical development towards practical pilots under real-world operating conditions.
FiDE and West Avia therefore complement each other. West Avia develops the operational testing capability and environment in Seinäjoki, while FiDE connects that capability to a broader national ecosystem of companies, RDI organisations and other test environments. FiDE can bring companies, technologies and use cases into the testing process, while West Avia provides the operational setting for selected real-world experiments.
The cooperation also works in the opposite direction. Experiences gained through West Avia pilots can contribute to the common experimentation models, test environment descriptions and services developed within FiDE. In this way, practical experience from Seinäjoki can support the development of models that are applicable more broadly across the Finnish drone ecosystem.
Elisabet Kivimäki
Yrityskehityspäällikkö, Into Seinäjoki
