Autonomous drone swarms for a safer society

Vinnova is investing in radical innovation in drone technology, with the goal being a future where drones can collectively solve complex tasks and contribute to a safer society.

The projects will show how a group of drones can be used to reduce risks, improve surveillance and provide insight into difficult-to-monitor environments, for example in the event of accidents, natural disasters or in industrial facilities.

– Drone technology is an area where Sweden has great potential to be at the forefront. By challenging actors to develop drone-based solutions that can act independently, we build expertise that strengthens both the power of innovation and society's preparedness, says Erik Borälv, who is responsible for the initiative at Vinnova.

The projects will showcase their solutions at a demonstration day in May 2026.

Discovery of forest fires and flying shepherds

One of the projects involves early detection of forest fires with autonomous drone swarms that can perform real-time mapping and local inspections, which can be crucial for managing forest fires.

Another project will develop "flying shepherds" - an autonomous solution with collaborative drones for monitoring grazing animals. The goal is to reduce the effort required to control animals on natural pastures, while increasing safety by eliminating the need for humans to be in difficult terrain.

Read more about the call for proposals and all approved project

Radical innovation

Vinnova is investing in radical innovation to accelerate groundbreaking developments that can make a big difference. It is about developing completely new capabilities with potential to revolutionize industries and tackle problems with completely new approaches. Something that creates the conditions for new technology areas and companies to emerge and become internationally competitive.

Read more about radical innovation