Denis Opudo
Airbus BizLab is a startup accelerator that is found in Toulouse and Hamburg. The startup will be hosting twelve upcoming startups globally for six months with Nigerian startups included during which they will improve their idea for new aerospace industry ventures. Nigerian’s Aerial Industries has developed a concept using high-performance drones for crop spraying on farms in developing countries.
The technology offers services that are cheaper, faster and more precise compared to tractors. The fact that the drone does not use chemicals makes it environmentally friendly and safe for farmers to use compared to traditional methods. The Nigerian’s Aerial Industry has lauded the partnership by saying that the move will give them an opportunity to have a good experience in drone technology and a worldwide presence that will help to position them for the future market and partners.
The accelerator brings together external startups and entrepreneurs based in Airbus who will work together to ensure that their innovations are market ready. The new startups will be joining a group of 56 startups that had already graduated. There were 2, 000 applicants who wanted to join the Airbus and this was the largest number of applicants since the launch. Those who were shortlisted come from various countries from Vietnam to Nigeria and there are some issues to be discussed starting from big data to drones and robotics.
The startups are not necessarily from aerospace industry but those that are developing ideas that hold great potential for the industry. For the first time candidates with a humanitarian approach such as Aerial Industries are to take part in the Humanitarian Challenge category. The amazing innovations from groups like Red Cross and Red Crescent network are developing in response to the challenges they face in their communities.
