Belgium’s Agency for Maritime and Coastal Services (MDK) and skeyes have signed a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) to expand the use of drones over the North Sea, boosting safety, efficiency, and innovation in maritime operations.
The agreement, signed at the Maritime Rescue and Coordination Centre (MRCC) in Ostend by MDK Administrator-General Nathalie Balcaen and skeyes CEO Johan Decuyper, aims to improve the integration of manned and unmanned air traffic in Belgian airspace and enhance situational awareness during missions such as Search and Rescue (SAR) and maritime infrastructure inspections.
Under the partnership, skeyes will provide real-time air traffic data and Common Information Services for drones. At the same time, MDK develops a roadmap for the structural deployment of drones, including a Proof of Concept for SAR drone operations over the North Sea in collaboration with SkeyDrone.
Flemish Minister of Mobility Annick De Ridder welcomed the initiative, calling drones “a key technology that will help us in many ways, not only in the air but also on land and at sea.”
The project is scheduled to begin later this year, with air traffic data integration expected to be completed by the end of 2025, and a full operational drone capability is anticipated in 2026. The cooperation runs for an initial three years, with annual evaluations and the option to extend.