The $15 Billion-Dollar Sky — How Agri-Drones are Powering America’s Next Tech Boom at Commercial UAV Expo 2025

Agri-drones are rapidly becoming one of the defining tools of the new stage of technological development in the U.S. agricultural sector. In the coming years, their adoption could unlock a market valued at over $15 billion, shaping an industry with its own infrastructure, service models, and production capabilities. The combination of advanced robotics, artificial intelligence algorithms, and precision agriculture methods will not only boost production efficiency but also address such key challenges as ensuring food security, overcoming labor shortages, and transitioning to more sustainable models of agricultural production. 

The Ukrainian experience in implementing unmanned technologies has proven its effectiveness on an industrial scale in agricultural production and in building a comprehensive ecosystem: from service operations and logistics to workforce training and the adoption of digital analytics. This is why the established case studies are becoming part of global practice, defining the technological standards of the future.

The panel discussion “The $15 Billion-Dollar Sky – How Agri-Drones are Powering America’s Next Tech Boom” will be dedicated to this topic, organized by the Ukrainian Pavilion at Commercial UAV Expo, which represents a united technological ecosystem of leading developers in unmanned systems, artificial intelligence, and robotics, led by DroneUA and Futurology.

• September 3, 2025 | 2:30 PM – 3:15 PM (PDT)

• Summit Stage | Caesars Forum | Las Vegas, USA
  

Speakers from different countries will join the discussion, representing various areas of industry development and providing a multidimensional perspective on the agri-drone market:

• Valerii Iakovenko (moderator), co-founder and managing partner DroneUA, Futurology

• Iurii Pederii, CEO, AeroDrone

• Vladimir Gaplik, co-Founder and COO FarmFleet

• Ashley Hanson, Unmanned Aviation Systems Manager, John Deere Aviation
  

The main topics of the discussion will include:

• the structure of the agri-drone market in the U.S. and its development dynamics;

• key stakeholders shaping standards and setting the direction of the industry;

• revenue streams within the value chain and the economics of new service models;

• sectors that will gain the most from the integration of unmanned technologies.
  

The discussion will also address the prospects for scaling business models, investments in service solutions, and the role of agricultural robotics within the broader innovation ecosystem, where agriculture serves as a starting point for the implementation of autonomous technologies.

Technologies and business models of agricultural robotics, including farming-as-a-service, are already impacting the U.S. economy today, helping American farmers increase efficiency and remain competitive on the global stage.