Executive Interview
Executive Interviews
An Interview with
Nick Foxall
Dronesurvey Asia
Founder and CEO
Dronesurvey Asia is a leading enterprise and commercial drone solutions company based in Hong Kong and Macau.
We offer a wide range of services, solutions, products and technologies designed to enable enterprises and government agencies make productive long term use of drones.
Companies and government agencies are able to realise significant productivity gains in their business and processes from our solutions, employing the most up-to-date and proven unmanned aerial systems and data technologies.
Publish Date:
22 October 2019
Hong Kong
Location:
Tell us about your background, and how you came to found your company?
My original background is in video production and filmmaking. I've been an independent director of photography and cameraman for TV, news and corporate video assignments. I've shot and produced material for the BBC, National Geographic Channel, CNBC, Al Jazeera, NRK Norwegian Television, ABC Australia, TVB Hong Kong, and many others.
I was one of the first pioneers in Hong Kong to use drones in TV and film work back to 2013. So in late 2016, I decided to branch out and founded Dronesurvey Asia as a leading managed aerial solutions provider focussed on providing a range of drone services in Hong Kong and Macau.
What is most important to you and your organization – mission, vision, or core values? Why?
Think of a drone as an “aerial platform for a sensor”. That could be a conventional camera, a thermal sensor, LiDAR imager, or literally any type of data collection device. From a business process point of view, drones are efficient, reliable and cost-effective method of gathering important data.
For example, in surveying and photogrammetry, drones can be as accurate and precise as conventional survey methods -- but much faster. In structural inspection, drones offer a safer, less hazardous alternative to traditional manned inspection processes, enhancing worker safety and keeping people out of danger.
In public safety, drones can play a significant role in search and rescue, or in fire fighting, helping to identify people missing or trapped, and directing emergency responders to the right locations.
Can you explain briefly how your service(s)/product(s) works?
Dronesurvey Asia offers a range of aerial data capture, processing, and consulting services, primarily in the infrastructure sector.
Our expertise covers aerial mapping, photogrammetry and surveying, plus industrial and structural inspection, as well as asset monitoring and security.
We provide not only safe and efficient data gathering (drone operation) services, but also data processing, management, and analysis — including the use of AI and machine learning.
How has the industry been changing in recent years?
The commercial uses for drones and the market for professional and industrial drone products and services has grown exponentially over the last 2 to 3 years. There has been a huge uptake in drone usage and application in industrial sector, especially sectors like power generation, oil & gas, construction, and infrastructure development.
Most of that uptake has happened in Europe and North America, but Asia is about to start catching up. Dronesurvey Asia is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this vast and growing service market.
What makes you different from what’s currently available in the market?
We are founded and run by experienced qualified drone operators, and experts across numerous technologies and fields. Dronesurvey Asia offers a unique range of aerial data capture, processing, and consulting services. Our expertise covers aerial mapping, photogrammetry and surveying, plus industrial and structural inspection, as well as asset monitoring and security.
We provide not only safe and efficient drone operation services, but also data processing, management, and analysis — including the use of AI and machine learning. This is unique in the industry in Hong Kong.
What does the future hold for your company?
Research by various organisations has predicted that the global commercial drone services market — that's drone product and technology sales plus drone-based services — will be worth over US$120 billion by the end of 2020. The benefits of drones in the infrastructure sector alone will be likely be worth over US$45 billion alone.
The use of drones in construction, agriculture, the energy sector, and infrastructure inspection is already well-established overseas (particularly in North America and Europe), and many of these technologies have use implications in Hong Kong and indeed across Asia.
We are on the crux of a commercial drone revolution in Asia, and Dronesurvey is perfectly positioned to take advantage of this.