Valencia. Drones have gone from being a piece of entertainment equipment to a tool increasingly used in various economic sectors, by emergency and security forces. From supervision and maintenance of power lines, wind farms, and roads to agriculture applications, hydrology and the environment, land or heritage management, going through scientific and research or security applications such as firefighting, rescue and vigilance… the options are endless.
In this context, IMS Drones is working, a Valencia startup that has just won the award for Best Triple Impact Startup at the VLC Startup Awards, awards promoted by the Valencia City Council, through València Activa. “First of all, my thanks for organizing the VLC Startup Awards. They are initiatives that get recognition, not so much for the award as for the appearance. These joys last for a moment, the next you have to forget and carry on knowing that uncertainty never goes away.” Louis Galindo, CEO of IMS Drones, which specializes in developing and manufacturing RPAS (Unmanned Aircraft) flight solutions with the aim of meeting the needs of various industrial and institutional sectors. “It’s more than just a company, right now, it’s a close-knit group of people with an individual commitment to co-workers and a sometimes contested but focused vision for the future and the world of drones.”
In IMS Drones, they always work looking forward, “I’m not prone to equilibria. In the world of entrepreneurship, you’re always moving on a knife edge, some ideas don’t help you, you know, too much analysis is paralyzing,” says Luis Galindo. Hence, their projects are future-oriented, based on how they understand the airspace will become its own ecosystem and what it can generate. It happened with cars and it will happen with drones. Full stops are planes that, because of their complexity, though they dominate this space, do not play in this league of transformation.”
This team designs and develops 100% of the platforms and systems, manufactures the equipment, as well as performs maintenance. In addition, in parallel, they carry out the training involved in their applications and the development of electronic engineering for cutting-edge technologies. “Always thinking in terms of value to the final recipient and not through our appearance to him, we believe that these developments bring improvements in general to problems suffered by ordinary people. In this sense, the balance between action and sometimes the pointless is delicate and fascinating. The ideal will always be reflection In irrationality, if this is the most contributory, as a starting point in any development, though, companies hold up against their shareholders with their income statement. It is not always easy.”
The idea arose as a result of a request for an automated 24/7 monitoring system covering a large area with a few personnel for the emergency and security forces, although Luis Galindo points out that the idea did not originate, rather it is the evolution of life. “When you look back and see what brought you here is when you realize it. There is no ‘eureka’, it is a profession, commitment and sometimes, why not, stubbornness to carry out projects,” he comments.
Behind the IMS Drones is also a good ability to take advantage of opportunities, hence their location in the Science Park of the University of Valencia. “Valencia is the land of research and invention, and in this sense, in the absence of a trace of American-style knowledge, we should take advantage of what we have, talent is hard to find and there are some in universities. We just need to be more open when it comes to sharing that knowledge and collaboration In developing it, and adapting it to commercial life. You have to improve on it. Indeed, the labor of daily work must be made by you, for no one helps you or gives you anything.”