Skyboria Featured by Madrid Innovation: Redefining Nighttime Firefighting with Heavy-Lift Drones
Wildfires do not sleep, yet traditional aerial firefighting fleets are forced to ground operations at night due to extreme human risk and limited visibility. This critical gap in emergency response is exactly what Skyboria was born to solve.
In a recent feature by Madrid Innovation, Skyboria's CEO and Co-founder, Isaac Pérez Fafián, detailed how our heavy-lift autonomous drones are set to transform environmental security and emergency logistics.
Capable of carrying up to 500 kg of payload—and physically larger than a standard car—our drones are equipped with state-of-the-art "artificial eyes." By integrating infrared cameras, LiDAR technology, and AI-driven algorithms, the system generates real-time 3D maps, actively detects obstacles, and executes safe, autonomous flights in complete darkness.
“We developed high-capacity drones with a specific goal: to solve the current problem that helicopters and manned aircraft cannot fly at night and carry a high level of risk. Our cost is also significantly lower than a helicopter, which allows for better resource distribution and faster response times.” — Isaac Pérez Fafián, CEO of Skyboria
The article also highlights Skyboria's strategic growth within the Madrid Innovation ecosystem and La Nave, an institutional partnership that has been instrumental in scaling our prototypes and validating our business model.
Looking ahead, Skyboria is actively transitioning towards commercial deployment. Our roadmap targets full operational services in Spain and Portugal within the next three years, establishing the foundation for global expansion. We are not just building an aircraft; we are deploying a comprehensive, life-saving service.
