Strategic Objectives
- Strengthen national UAS, Earth Observation, GeoAI and geospatial data capacity through applied research, training and institutional coordination.
- Advance practical drone applications in urban and regional planning, infrastructure, agriculture, environmental monitoring, disaster risk reduction and climate resilience.
- Develop progressive, accessible and quality-assured training pathways from foundational awareness to responsible professional practice.
- Coordinate Government, regulators, communities, academia, industry and development partners around priority use cases and partnerships.
- Mobilise external research and development funding and build sustainable training, research, consultancy and service-delivery infrastructure.
- Promote research dissemination and student/staff innovation that translates UAVs, EO, IoT and AI into practical development solutions.
- Promote safe, lawful, ethical and human-centred drone operations, responsible data governance and transparent AI/GeoAI use.
Key Functions
| Function | What NACUAS does |
|---|---|
| Applied research & pilots | Design, test and evaluate UAS/EO/GeoAI solutions in priority sectors. |
| Training & professional development | Deliver foundational, specialised and partner-supported training while clearly separating awareness training from formal licensing requirements. |
| Geospatial data & services | Acquire, process, analyse and translate drone/satellite data into maps, models, dashboards and decision-support products. |
| Policy & regulatory support | Provide research evidence, safety culture, risk-assessment awareness and technical input in collaboration with ZCAA and relevant authorities. |
| Innovation & technology transfer | Support prototypes, local UAS development, software/AI, sensors, IoT and commercialisation pathways. |
| Partnership & national coordination | Convene Government, academia, communities, industry and development partners around shared use cases and data governance. |
| Research dissemination | Publish, present, mentor and translate findings into technical briefs, training resources and public communication. |
| Resource mobilisation & consultancy | Develop grants, tenders, service packages and sustainable cost-recovery mechanisms in line with University policy. |
Expected Impact
- Safer, more responsible and better-coordinated UAS adoption in Zambia.
- A skilled national workforce able to use drones, EO, GIS and GeoAI responsibly.
- Faster and higher-resolution evidence for planning, infrastructure, agriculture, environment and disaster management.
- Stronger local research, postgraduate training, innovation, IP and technology-development capability.
- New knowledge-intensive services, partnerships and pathways for economic diversification.
- More inclusive data ecosystems in which communities and public institutions participate in defining and interpreting data.
- Regional leadership in responsible UAS research, training, data services and innovation.