The world’s largest drone camera and enterprise applications manufacturer DJI says it will attend the 2023 IFA consumer electronics trade show in Berlin that starts Friday, the first time the company has participated in the event since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic, and timed as the giant weathers turbulence from protectionist blacklisting in the US.
DJI announced its intention to attend this year’s IFA, which some observers have described as Europe’s version of the gigantic annual CES in the US. The company said its return to the event – which runs from September 1-5 in the German capital – will allow it to provide visitors with a “high-profile, immersive experience with its unmatched aerial, handheld, and cinematography product portfolio,” including drones, action cameras, cinematic gear, and myriad accessories.
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The rising COVID-19 pandemic caused IFA to be held in highly restricted form in 2020, then cancelled in 2021. Major companies like Apple and Sony mirrored DJI’s decision in staying away last year, but with the world now open for business and operating quasi-normally in the wake of the health crisis, the Shenzhen-based drone maker has decided to return to Europe’s marquee consumer electronics event.
“We are excited to return to Europe’s largest consumer electronics show, IFA,” said Christina Zhang, senior director of corporate strategy at DJI. “Our goal is to share our full consumer, professional and enterprise product portfolio with existing users who trust our products for their first-in-class technology, safety, and reliability, as well as visitors who would like to discover trailblazing imaging solutions for the first time to transform their lives and turn their imagination into reality.”
The move back to IFA is also partially motivated by DJI’s desire to increase what’s expected to be a swiftly expanding consumer and enterprise drone market in the European Union (EU). Adoption of common regulations across the bloc aim to unleash faster scaling by existing and future aerial service companies than has been possible thus far.
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Sector observers like Manna Drone Delivery CEO Bobby Healy have said they believe the unified nature, proactive preparation, and relative operational liberties of those EU rules should fuel stronger, faster drone sector growth in coming years than in the US – action DJI would doubtless like to lead.
Meanwhile, a focus on Europe – using events like IFA as a showcase – might also offer DJI a valuable hedge to booming business in the US that has experienced both disruption and market share declines amid protectionist political efforts to blacklist its drones.
Though the company is also a sector leader on the Old Continent – as it is virtually everywhere – a rebalancing of its sales and communications emphasis toward Europe as it nears an expected burst of drone activity might well allow help DJI compensate for any additional turbulences arising in the US.
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Among products DJI says it will feature at its IFA stand are the Mini 3 Pro and Mavic 3 Pro (Cine); 4-axis cinema Ronin 4D camera; and DJI Pocket 2, and Osmo Mobile 6 devices. Reflecting its main focus on and global strength from the tech, however, the company says it is reserving a particularly alluring attraction for its UAV customers.
“One of the highlights of DJI’s booth will be a specially-designed 135m3 area where users can try out first-person-view (FPV) flying with DJI Avata and DJI Goggles 2,” it said. “This allows them to move through an obstacle course and feel Avata’s astonishing performance, agility, and easy control for the ultimate immersive flight experience.”
Now fans just need to fly themselves to Berlin.
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