Speaker Bio
Dave Pankhurst is Director of Drones at BT Group, part of Etc., the incubation arm of the business.
Dave joined BT Group in 2016, leading a product team focusing on new growth opportunities for the group before founding BT Group’s Drones unit in 2019. He is a regular contributor on how the UK can enable the full potential of a drone economy, and is a member of the Future Aviation Industry Working Group on Airspace Integration and the Drone Industry Action Group.
Since 2019 BT has led two Future Flight UKRI programmes, and been a member of two more, including ‘Project Skyway’, which will establish the UK’s first drone superhighway. In October 2023, Dave’s team launched the UK’s first Drone SIM, an important step in unlocking the true potential of beyond visual line of sight (BVLOS) drone operation across the UK. The Drone SIM and BT Group’s network has also powered a UK-first drone medical delivery trial, alongside partners Skyfarer.
Previous to Dave’s time at BT Group, Dave has held technology roles at EE and Orange. Dave is passionate about the drone industry, and how BT can support its growth, unlocking potential for true transformation.