Flying Labs Network

Flying Labs shift power with local experts who lead local solutions.

Solutions that exclude local expertise and lived experience are rarely effective, social or sustainable.

We co-create and facilitate an inclusive network of independent, locally-led and demand-driven knowledge hubs across Africa, Asia, Latin America and beyond: the “Flying Labs®” network. Flying Labs strengthen local expertise in the use of drones, robotics, data and AI for positive social change. They demonstrate The Power of Local.

Discover the network and learn more about individual Flying Labs on the Flying Labs website.

Goals & Activities of Flying Labs

Flying Labs provide, promote and enable local expertise and leadership to accelerate the positive impact of humanitarian, health, development and environmental solutions.

Flying Labs strengthen local expertise in drones, robotics, data and AI through professional training they organize for local partners including government, industry, international organizations, not-for-profit organizations, research centers and universities. They also implement a wide array of applications and research/pilot projects across key social good sectors with local and international partners. All Flying Labs activities focus on SDGs.

In addition, Flying Labs support drone and robotics ecosystems in their own countries. Last but not least, they expand local markets by supporting and catalyzing local businesses.

Hear from the Flying Labs directly on their goals and activities in the videos below.

Roles

Flying Labs have complete autonomy to select their local priorities, partners and projects. Their role is to strengthen capacity and to facilitate a local ecosystem for drones, robotics, data and AI solutions through projects and partnerships with local stakeholders, including government, NGOs, industry, research and academia. All their activities are tied to one or several SDGs. By being part of the network, they agree to openly share their experiences and knowledge with other Flying Labs. Flying Labs are locally-owned, managed and financed.

Our role at WeRobotics is to support the network so that individual Flying Labs and the network as a whole can grow and thrive sustainably. To do so, we concentrate on the following activities: capacity strengthening, technology transfer, knowledge exchange, governance and M&E, opportunity transfer and value transfer. Click on the various tabs here under to read more on our detailed activities.

Capacity Strengthening

We are essentially a resource factory that works behind the scenes to create and co-create hundreds of learning items, many of which are exclusive to Flying Labs. These items are shared with Flying Labs through an ever-growing Knowledge Sharing Platform (called WeShare), through professional in-person training through our Online Training Academy. Taken together, these resources include:

  • Technical learning resources such as software guides, drone pilot toolsets and sector-thematic guides and workflows to strengthen the technical expertise of Flying Labs.
  • Operational guidelines, project management and budgeting tools and communication resources and handbooks to support Flying Labs in their project management and communication activities.
  • Periodic and interactive online learning sessions called WeSupport to deep-dive into technical and operational resources.
  • Programs that offer Flying Labs easy-to-apply strategies and handbooks and workflows on topics crucial to the success of their work, such as “Turning Data into Action” and “Government Engagement Strategy”.
  • Use Case Library of project and training use cases of the Flying Labs.
  • In-person professional trainings on how to use drones safely, responsibly and effectively for both data collection & mapping and cargo drone delivery.
  • In-person professional trainings on how to use drones for a growing number of use-cases related to the Sustainable Development Goals.
  • A growing number of professional and peer-reviewed online trainings, a number of which are completely unique, covering sector-based applications of drones including humanitarian, public health and STEM.

WeShare, our Knowledge Sharing Platform, is hosted on Atlassian

Knowledge Exchange

While there are many individual exchanges between Flying Labs, WeRobotics actively facilitates the network to scale individual learnings and experiences. Facilitation happens both on an individual level with Flying Labs as well as by bringing Flying Labs together for network-wide and topic or regional based discussions. Our facilitation activities include:

  • Individual monthly calls with Flying Labs and yearly license renewal calls to discuss needs, support and priorities.
  • Quarterly regional calls between Flying Labs of a geographic region, to deepen regional collaboration and experience-sharing.
  • Virtual and in-person retreats with the whole network to come together as a community, discuss strategies and exchange experiences and solutions to challenges.
  • Topic-specific working groups to discuss and find solutions to challenges Flying Labs face, such as regulations, anti-racism, etc.

Technology Transfer

We source, build and maintain strategic partnerships with leading hardware and software companies and platform providers in the drone data, drone mapping and cargo drone sectors. Through these partnerships, we provide Flying Labs with:

  • Free access to the leading software solutions for drone data acquisition, processing and analysis, GIS, drone flight logging, and drone delivery.
  • Preferential rates and special offers for hardware: drones, add-on solutions, etc.
  • Free access or preferential rates to platform solutions (AI platforms, data storage, etc.).
  • Free or heavily-discounted access to training programs for hardware, software and platform solutions as well as drone piloting certification.
  • Access to latest innovations and new technologies to be amongst the first movers in their own countries and regions.

Opportunity Transfer

Even when local experts have the expertise and the technologies, many are still overlooked or excluded in favor of foreign experts. We therefore actively source new opportunities through a wide range of partners and reroute these opportunities to local experts across the Flying Labs network. Our partners include INGOs, development banks, international and national companies, donors and governments.

Our goal is create and grow opportunities for Flying Labs and to enter into strategic partnerships to build sustainable, recurring opportunity streams for the network.

Opportunities transferred include:

  • Drone mapping research and pilot projects.
  • Drone cargo pilot projects.
  • Drone piloting, data acquisition, data processing and data analysis training.
  • Certification training.
  • Entrepreneurship programs.
  • Software/Platform solution developments.
  • Keynotes and demo/booth opportunities in international and regional conferences, events and expert convening.
  • Local and regional partnerships.
  • Referral programs.
  • And many more!

Value Transfer

We actively fundraise for either joint program and project activities with Flying Labs or for specific Flying Labs projects. We also support Flying Labs in their fundraising efforts through introduction, joint-proposals and mentoring.

  • Subgrants for Flying Labs on various programs and projects.
  • Microgrants for Flying Labs on various topics (we organise between 1 – 2 rounds of micro grants per year).
  • Consulting fees for time spent on internal co-creation projects and online trainings.

Governance / M&E

We build, adapt and improve the governance model for the Flying Labs network in close collaboration with Flying Labs. We also support Flying Labs with implementing their M&E approach and share their collective impact with the larger audience.

  • The Flying Labs Global model, co-created with FlyingLabs, serves as the network’s governance model. Every 6 months, Flying Labs perform a self-evaluation on the 8 objective and 50 specific criteria that make up the model. We facilitate the evaluation process, support Flying Labs in their self-evaluation and consult them in how to reach the goals they have set themselves. We also combine all evaluations into regional and global benchmarks and adapt the model continuously based on feedback we receive throughout the evaluation process.
  • The Flying Labs Impact page compiles the overall impact of all Flying Labs in one single webpage. We co-create and co-adapt the M&E methodology together with Flying Labs and facilitate the collection of data. We also consult individual Flying Labs on how to improve their M&E approach and work with external consultants to improve the methodologies.

Why 100’s of Local Experts Across 30+ Countries are Joining the Flying Labs Network

Flying Labs are locally-owned and locally-led by existing local organisations. These local experts join the network through the Local Model, an affiliation model designed by WeRobotics. Once part of the network, they are directly connected to each other, haring lessons learned and best practices, training each other and working on joint projects. To grow strong and successful together, the network is governed by the Global Model that was co-created between WeRobotics and Flying Labs.

Join with the Flying Labs Local Model

Local organizations with a demonstrated track-record in the use of drones, robotics, data and/or AI are invited to join the Flying Labs network by co-creating their own Flying Labs using the Local Model. By joining the network, you will have direct access to the expertise of WeRobotics and 30+ other Flying Labs in the network including access to the Flying Labs Knowledge Sharing Platform, WeShare. You will have direct access to expert training, multiple project and funding opportunities, professional workshops, free passes to conferences, select hardware and software solutions, new partners and more. You will also gain free access to all assets produced by WeRobotics and 30+ Flying Labs including standard operating procedures, checklists, templates ethical guidelines and training curricula to strengthen your expertise. In addition, you will have full use of the Flying Labs brand for strategic communications and fundraising purposes.
Discover our full Value Proposition for Flying Labs

Succeed with the Flying Labs Global Model

WeRobotics and the entire Flying Labs network is invested in the success of your Flying Labs. Once you’ve joined the network and co-created your own Flying Labs, use the Global Model to succeed. The Global Model was co-created by and for existing Flying Labs to provide a dedicated roadmap for your success. The model enables you to strengthen your existing expertise and to gain competency in new strategic areas based entirely on your own priorities and objectives. The Global Model also enables you to identify and collaborate with Flying Labs that have the expertise you wish to develop. Your success is key to the success of the Flying Labs network, and vice versa. As such, each Flying Labs has its own role to play to contribute to the overall success and strength of the network. The Global Model provides you with multiple pathways to contribute to this success. The model continues to evolve as Flying Labs and WeRobotics share new insights and learnings.
Discover more details on the Flying Labs Global Model
Discover more details on the Flying Labs Global Model

Join the Network.

Discover and join the Flying Labs network by visiting the network’s website.

Go to Flying Labs Website
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