From refurbishing oil and gas facilities in far-flung corners of the world through to running a seaplane airline in British Columbia, InDro Robotics CEO Philip Reece has long been drawn to sectors that involve opportunity, technology – and an undeniable “cool” factor. He’s also been a trend-spotter.

That ability served him well while running the seaplane airline (he’s also a private pilot, btw). He realised that some of the aerial data acquisition work his aircraft carried out for industry clients in mining, forestry and wildlife could likely be handled more cost-effectively by what was then an emerging technology: Drones. And so InDro Robotics was born.

In addition to designing and modifying drones and offering training and service provision, InDro quickly built a reputation for technological innovations. The company was the first in Canada to enable an RPAS to fly over 5G and 4G networks, the first to obtain a BVLOS permit from Transport Canada, and the first to receive a Cargo License from the Canadian Transportation Agency. Though Philip would downplay this, he's built a strong reputation in the industry for his ethics and moral compass – character traits that have led to InDro being quietly involved in projects such as delivering COVID test supplies by drone for an isolated First Nations community during the height of the pandemic.