Sky-Wire January 2026
Welcome to another installment of Sky-Wire, the official Sky-Futures newsletter featuring all of our latest news, insights, and more.
Last year, Sky-Futures conducted operations across the globe, from the UK and Europe to Africa, Malaysia, the Americas, and more. As we head into2026, we’re proud to share some of the milestones we achieved in 2025.
Company News
ABS Recertifies Sky-Futures
On December 3rd, Sky-Futures announced that it has received recertification from The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) for close visual inspections and Non-Destructive Testing using UAS & robotics.
This recertification confirms that Sky-Futures’ inspection services continue to meet the stringent quality, safety, and reporting standards of the American Bureau of Shipping. It enables clients to demonstrate compliance with international inspection and asset-integrity requirements and ensures that Sky-Futures’ data and reports remain trusted and accepted by regulators and insurers worldwide.
Nick Shepherd MInstNDT, Sky-Futures Head of Engineering, said: “Since 2009, the evolution of our technology fleet has been exceptional, and the next decade promises even greater advances in safety, integrity, and efficiency.
Company News
2026 Drone Industry Trends
On November 20th, Sky-Futures released its forecast for the key trends shaping the drone industry in 2026. According to Sky-Futures’ CEO Frankie Suarez, the coming year will mark a turning point where unmanned aerial systems (UAS) evolve from tools of observation to engines of prediction and prevention.
“The future of unmanned inspection isn’t just about flying further – it’s about seeing deeper.” said Frankie Suarez, CEO of Sky-Futures. “As AI and automation mature, the data collected by drones and remote robotics will increasingly drive proactive decision making and risk mitigation across Energy, Civil Infrastructure, Maritime, and Renewables sectors.”
Looking ahead to 2026, Sky-Futures predicts several trends shaping the future of remote survey and inspection.
Top Drone Industry Trends for 2026
- Predictive Risk Intelligence Becomes Standard Practice
Drones will evolve from simply capturing images to generating actionable insights that anticipate failures before they occur. Integration of AI-driven analytics with enterprise risk systems will become essential for improving safety and ensuring compliance.
- Rise of BVLOS and Autonomous Operations
Regular and routine beyond-visual-line-of-sight (BVLOS) and autonomous operations will enable wider deployment of drones for inspections, emergency response, and logistics, supporting continuous monitoring of high-risk assets.
- Human-AI Collaboration in the Field
Rather than replacing human expertise, drone technology will augment it, providing field engineers, remote pilots, and risk professionals with a clearer, faster, and safer understanding of their operating environment.
- Expansion Into New Risk Domains
Drones are already playing important roles in climate risk assessment, insurance underwriting, and natural disaster response, providing rapid, accurate situational data that reduces both human and financial exposure. We expect this expansion to accelerate even further in 2026 as organisations integrate drones and remote robotics more deeply into their risk and resilience strategies.
“At Sky-Futures, our mission has always been to convert aerial data into actionable safety intelligence that strengthens operational decision-making,” CEO Frankie Suarez added. “The next chapter of UAS isn’t just about the skies, it’s about trusted aerial information that brings together data, autonomy, and human expertise to enable smarter, safer, and more sustainable decisions across global infrastructure.”
Company News
Sky-Futures 2025 Highlights
Here are some of our notable milestones and highlights from 2025:
January – To start the year, Sky-Futures became an independent company, expanding our capabilities and operations across the globe, and enabling us to give our customers better and faster service.
Sky-Futures also announced a strategic leadership change, naming Frankie Suarez as new Chief Executive Officer and ushering in a new era of innovation and expansion for Sky-Futures.
March – June – Sky-Futures secures multi-year contracts with several Oil and Gas Supermajors.
May – Sky-Futures announces the acquisition of UnmannedTech, Africa’s premier specialist in industrial aerial surveys, monitoring, and data collection in remote locations. UnmannedTech founder and CEO Louw Bonthuys is named Managing Director of Sky-Futures Africa.
July – Sky-Futures Malaysia’s Norhazli Abu Hassan receives the Aerospace Premiership Award at the 2025 Malaysia Aerospace Industry Association
(MAIA) President’s Dinner. The highly distinguished award celebrates individuals who have demonstrated exceptional leadership and whose innovation has shaped the aerospace industry and inspired others.
November – Sky-Futures successfully delivers a large-scale GIS Campaign, powered by world-leading sensors and workflows.
December – The American Bureau of Shipping (ABS) recertified Sky-Futures for Close Visual Inspections and Non-Destructive Testing Using UAS and Robotics.
As we move into 2026, Sky-Futures will continue to build on the strides it made in 2025. As we expand operations, upgrade our fleet, and incorporate new technologies, we are committed to delivering world-class inspection services to our clients wherever they stand up their infrastructure.
Public Profile
Eben Koen
Business Development Manager of Sky-Futures South Africa
With 28 years of service in the South African Air Force, Eben Koen brings extensive experience in Information and Communication Technology (ICT).Rising to the rank of Warrant Officer Class 2, much of his career was spent on operational deployments within the tactical communications environment, overseeing and operating across the HF, UHF, and VHF spectrums.
Now serving as our South African Regional Business Development Manager, Eben is a future minded quietly driven professional who thrives on Manager, Eben is a future-minded, quietly driven professional who thrives on blending technology with practical, real-world solutions. With a natural curiosity and a genuine interest in people, he enjoys turning ideas into meaningful progress while remaining grounded, adaptable, and committed to continuous learning.
