We know that you have heard about drones, but you probably have not heard about the production of drones in Albania!
Arbi Bamllari, the founder of SKAITECH, the company which uses drones as a working tool in a variety of fields and is taking the first steps for the production of drones with special technology in Albania. After pursuing higher studies in England, University College of London, for Mathematics, Arbi returns to Albania to build his career without knowing that very soon he would become the inventor of a company that operates in the field of drones and artificial intelligence.
Prishila Gjoka: How did the idea of creating SKAITECH come about and how long did it take to build the base for this startup?
Arbi Bamllari: I grew up in the business world, I also got involved in business when I came back to Albania, and my passions are technology and machines. While I was working for a company as an IT Consultant the idea for SKAITECH came about, and it was almost the time when the pandemic began spreading when I started developing my ideas. It actually started as a discussion in a café, about the pros and cons of automation and digitalization in our world, how robotics (like drones) and AI are advancing. In a humorous way, I said: “Imagine a swarm of drones, just like in Black Mirror, monitoring and gathering data on the situation of the pandemic to report to authorities 24/7.”
While absurd and sinister at first glance, this actually made me curious on drones, the technology behind them, and how they were being used globally. From there, a whole new world opened to me, and I started researching relentlessly and working late nights, as one idea or technology led to another. I networked with people and delightfully found my team, while simultaneously partnering up with companies around the world.
Prishila Gjoka: Who was your first support on building SKAITECH?
Arbi Bamllari: It was my family. I have always had the curiosity and ambition to learn more and more and I was educated with the fact that you cannot just get things, you have to aim to build your own things. The creation of SKAITECH started with me pitching the idea to my father. He knew that the field of technology has a bright future but a man who does not have in-depth knowledge needs some conviction whether from the figures, the business plan, etc. Now we are business partners!
Prishila Gjoka: When did you officially start operating on your premises and how many employees were there in the beginning?
Arbi Bamllari: The founding date was October 10, 2020. The work officially started on November 1. In the beginning, we were 3 employees, while now we are 6 people full time. We have some collaborations, we have two Drone Pilots for projects, we have collaborations with licensed surveyors, and an engineering professor who works as a freelancer. We work based on projects mostly.
Prishila Gjoka: What does SKAITECH do specifically, what is the problem that you are solving?
Arbi Bamllari: The idea of SKAITECH was to bring drones, robotics, and AI technologies to Albania. The solutions we provide extend to different industries, but mainly in agriculture, energy, infrastructure, and security. The solution is the automation and digitization of operations for a business, full support in Hardware and Software. One of the things we do is digitize critical assets, we can create these objects virtually. This is done through tools such as drones, custom software, and certain methodologies such as photogrammetry. The client can then observe this object or a certain area for further studies. Objects can be buildings, bridges, roads, unbuilt fields, agricultural fields, telecommunication stations, solar panels, etc. So, there are a variety of applications. On the other hand, object detection, object counting, various inspections, reports, etc. can be done through AI.
Prishila Gjoka: So, to understand it more simply. Drones are your tools to provide services, you do not manufacture or trade drones?
Arbi Bamllari: This was the first concept and is the main line of our business at the moment. We are working on several projects in-house. One of the main projects is the one you just mentioned, we are the first company to manufacture drones in Albania. We have found institutional support and we are very proud of that!
The project will be in European standards, of high security. Our drone will have a range of functions, will have Artificial Intelligence embedded, and a designated range that can be remotely controlled, as they are everywhere in the world, but also autonomous. Our goal is to be certified according to EASA (European Union Aviation Safety Agency) regulators with CE.
Prishila Gjoka: Are you currently operating only on B2B?
Arbi Bamllari: Mainly yes. Although in the first part of the year we did B2C services, in the field of marketing, tourism, etc. There have also been individuals who have requested our services enabling us to offer B2C.
Prishila Gjoka: Who is your target client?
Arbi Bamllari: The target client is in both sectors, public and private. On the business side, it is easier to work with the private sector because the interaction is simpler. Here I would mention construction, infrastructure and energy. The process is as follows: we use professional drones from where the data is obtained, the sensors attached to these drones are slightly different than normal drones and this should be noted. Data is then processed into the software which processes and analyses the data. The advantage is that we provide more data and results compared to a traditional method, in a much shorter time and in a cost-effective method.
In the agricultural sector, we monitor the health of crops, in a very similar way the data is taken by drones, thrown into specific software, and certain results are generated, which show if there are problems in certain coordinates and areas. We also have specific drones that inspect the condition and damage of critical assets, such as in power lines or solar panels, where you do not notice problems with visual cameras, hence thermal cameras can be used, and a comprehensive report is generated highlighting exactly where the problem or damage is located. This is basically what drones and the technologies we use do.
Prishila Gjoka: However necessary they may seem, it sounds like a costly service to farmers, especially in Albania.
Arbi Bamllari: My argument on this is that sometimes they seem like expensive solutions, but when you consider the long-term, consequences can be far greater. In the case of a disease in certain vegetation, if not prevented in time, the disease can spread and bring bigger problems. We try to provide services that are as efficient as possible. As for prices that seem expensive, we have tried to keep in mind our country. We are aware that the country's economy has certain things that have not yet been embraced, especially in terms of technology. We are trying to implement Western methodologies and work based on projects and working hours. There will always be some opposition that will not be able to understand or embrace technology, so we are trying to connect with foreign organizations and the government, we need their support above all for market education. When discussing with the Minister of Agriculture I explained that we need support with the education of agronomists or farmers that these data are not just some written information. These data will make it possible to not spend more money in the future and prevent huge unforeseen expenses.
Prishila Gjoka: The drone sector seems to be moving very fast all over the world. By 2025 it is predicted that the market size will reach over 60 billion dollars?
Arbi Bamllari: True, and by 2030 it will have gone over 100 billion. The idea is that drones are no longer sold in the world as a new thing, so the market in more developed countries is already maturing. In Albania, this is still a new thing. We simply had the good fortune or ambition to implement it in our country as well.
Prishila Gjoka: Being something innovative, at least for Albania, has there been interest from investors but also from the market? I have the impression that you have been the first to bring this to Albania.
Arbi Bamllari: Fortunately for us, we are the first. The unfortunate is related to educating the whole market. We are always in a hurry, making new efforts to collaborate with many people. We have created a good team and we are very energetic and we believe in this project. Every passion must be pursued and even better if you manage to do business as well.
The feedback has always been very positive. I think in 1 or 2 years this will become normal. We also sell drones. We also plan to open a drone shop. We have several projects in our plans. We are service providers, mainly B2B, but as I mentioned we have other projects we are developing. We aim to produce most of the products we use, to reduce labor costs, and to say that this can be done in our country as well. A very interesting project we have started is the creation of AI algorithms for identifying objects, monitoring traffic, and detecting license plates. Theoretically, anything is possible with cameras and drones, we have managed to do it and we are working to improve it.
In addition, it is important to consider a few things about the regulations that drones have with aviation. Albania, Montenegro, and Macedonia are the only three countries in Europe that do not have drone regulations. So how can drones be used? Theoretically, drones can fly up to 1000 meters. If this drone lifts 500 meters away and enters a helicopter area, that is not allowed, what happens? In this regard, we have done online trainings and we have also received pilot certifications. We are working closely with the National Civil Aviation Authority regarding regulations and are also working on creating an academy, SKAITECH Academy, so that anyone can train with us to get the right license to be certified as required.
I see our work even more regional, for example, we are thinking of opening our offices in Kosovo. Then why not aim for the European market. But there is always a need for investment. At the moment we have several partnerships with EU4innovation, GIZ, several universities including the University of Tirana, AADF, ICTSLab etc.
Prishila Gjoka: Being a startup, what do acceleration programs look like in Albania? Have you participated in any of them?
Arbi Bamllari: To be honest, we did not participate, at least not like SKAITECH. I have participated in England in such a program, one of the guys on the team has participated in some of them. I think there is still a need for more work from the programs themselves. At the end of the day, there are people from very different fields who need technical support in those fields.
However, the atmosphere in Albania has improved, compared to maybe 5 years ago. I see a lot of young people who have been out and about and are trying to build real things. But they need to be supported and a new spirit is needed. With cooperation, everything can be achieved, if Albania moves slowly in this direction.
Prishila Gjoka: In the best-case scenario after 5 or 6 years where will SKAITECH be?
Arbi Bamllari: In the best scenario we will be in several different directions, a company consolidated with offices in Kosovo, Pristina, I believe also in Europe. Our long-term goal is to grow in the international market and also to have our law of production of drones in Albania. Development of the various products we have launched, expanding the team, and much more.
I have had the good fortune to be supported by my family and I have studied abroad and got used to a different culture, so I have established partnerships with different companies and people from all over the world and I try to bring these partnerships and technologies to Albania. I'm trying to reflect this on the company, to bring a slightly more western spirit where people do not just have a position. I spend all my time in the open floor space office with the guys who work here because I feel part of them, I do not want to differentiate myself at this point.
Hello, do you have battery for DJI Phantom 4 or place in Albania where we can by it?