In 2016, the Swiss Foundation for Technology Assessment TA-SWISS - an organization tasked with evaluating the societal, legal, and ethical impacts of new technologies - posed a forward-looking question: Are drones just a passing trend, or a transformative technology?

To investigate, TA-SWISS commissioned an interdisciplinary study on civil drone technologies. Among the project’s leading contributors were Prof. Dr. Michel Guillaume and Dr. Ing. Peter M. Lenhart from the Centre for Aviation at ZHAW, both of whom are now key figures in the LINA initiative. The study explored opportunities, risks, and limitations, and also issued concrete recommendations.
Its conclusion was clear: drones ere rapidly becoming part of everyday airspace and will not disappear. Their technical capabilities are advancing, but critical questions remain—particularly around autonomy, safety, and regulation. A key recommendation also emerged: Switzerland needs a national testing facility for drones and autonomous systems, publicly funded, driven by academia and supported by the industry. This will be essential to to ensure that autonomous aerial systems can be operated safely and reliably, even over populated areas.

This recommendation marked the initial spark for LINA. Launched as a cantonal initiative in Zurich with support from the Digitalization Initiative of the Zurich Higher Education Institutions (DIZH) and a growing network of academic and industrial partners, LINA is actively building the foundation for a future national testing and innovation infrastructure. Its goal: to enable responsible innovation and the safe integration of autonomous systems and aerial robotics into real-world environments to shape the future of drone technologies in our shared airspaces.

Read the study here:
TA-SWISS: Civil drones