The commercial drone industry is growing faster than its talent pipeline can keep up with. Companies are struggling to find candidates who combine technical flight proficiency with data skills, regulatory fluency, and the soft skills that make someone effective in complex operational environments, and higher education programs haven’t fully caught up to what the industry actually needs. This panel brings together hiring managers and industry leaders to have an honest conversation about the workforce gap: where it’s most acute, what companies are doing to address it internally, and what needs to change in how the industry develops new talent. Panelists will also look ahead, examining what skills in areas like data science, AI integration, and autonomous systems will define the next generation of drone professionals, and how organizations and educators can start building toward that future now rather than scrambling to catch up later.
September 1-3, 2026 • Caesars Forum • Las Vegas
