Kiwa and DronePort Rotterdam partner for drone and AI-based inspections across Europe

Across many sectors, infrastructure is ageing while the availability of skilled inspectors is under increasing pressure. At the same time, asset owners face stricter safety requirements, higher operational demands and growing expectations around data quality and transparency. Drone- and AI-based inspections offer clear advantages, but their successful adoption requires more than technology alone. Trust, compliance, data integrity and professional execution are essential.

From innovation to operationally accepted inspections

DronePort Rotterdam does not perform inspections itself, but operates as a neutral orchestration and enablement platform. It establishes the operational, regulatory and governance conditions that allow certified drone operators, inspection companies and technology providers to deliver trusted and compliant inspection services. By embedding drone and AI solutions into real-world operational environments and aligning them with regulatory and governance frameworks from the outset, the platform enables inspection concepts to mature from experimentation to scalable, operational deployment. Inspections are executed by qualified operators and inspection partners within the ecosystem, with Kiwa providing inspection methodologies, assurance, regulatory compliance and trusted reporting.

The joint end-to-end approach of DronePort Rotterdam and Kiwa enables drone-based inspections that meet high standards for safety, reliability, data quality, data integrity and full regulatory compliance. By embedding these aspects into the inspection process from the outset, the partnership builds trust in inspection outcomes and enables asset owners, operators and authorities to confidently use drone-based inspection results for decision-making, asset management and compliance purposes.

New generation of inspections

Jonas Van hove, global business sector lead Digital & Cyber Solutions at Kiwa, welcomes the partnership with DronePort Rotterdam: ‘Drone and AI technologies are redefining how we safeguard critical infrastructure. By combining Kiwa’s expertise in drone-based applications with DronePort Rotterdam’s operational ecosystem, we enable a new generation of inspections that are safer, smarter and ready for global adoption.’

DronePort Rotterdam partnership lead Chicane Visser: ‘DronePort Rotterdam exists to bridge innovation, regulation and operations. The partnership with Kiwa is crucial because it ensures that drone- and AI-based inspections are compliant, reliable and decision-ready from the outset. By embedding assurance, data integrity and professional inspection methodologies into real-world deployments, we enable technologies to scale with trust across critical domains, ports and infrastructure networks.’

Safe and efficient

Within the partnership, Kiwa offers intelligent inspection services using drones and AI-driven analysis for the inspection and monitoring of critical and hard-to-reach assets. These include industrial installations, port and logistics infrastructure, energy and offshore assets, pipelines, tanks, silos, dams and civil structures.

Drone-based inspections significantly reduce the need for scaffolding, confined space entry and work at height, improving safety while increasing efficiency. AI-supported data analysis and 3D modelling provide detailed insights into asset condition, including corrosion, cracks, deformations, leaks, defective connections and weld integrity. But Kiwa’s experts do more than capture data. They interpret, analyze and translate inspection results into clear, actionable and trustworthy reports, including 3D visualizations, crack distribution analysis and time-based comparisons for predictive maintenance.

Training, data governance and international deployment

In addition to inspection services, Kiwa and DronePort Rotterdam are joining forces to develop training and competence programs for drone operators, inspection professionals and asset owners. These programs ensure inspections are executed safely, consistently and in line with international best practices. Strong data governance is another key pillar of the partnership. Secure data processing, traceability and auditability ensure inspection data can be trusted throughout its lifecycle. DronePort Rotterdam provides the operational, regulatory and ecosystem frameworks that allow these inspection concepts, training programs and data governance models to be replicated and scaled across ports, industrial clusters and infrastructure environments in Europe and beyond.

With an international focus, the partnership supports inspection projects well beyond the Netherlands, contributing to the global deployment of Dutch expertise in drone-based inspection and assurance. With this collaboration, Kiwa reinforces its commitment to making innovative inspection technologies safe, reliable and ready for real-world application, helping clients manage their assets more efficiently, safely and sustainably.

From left to right: Mathijs van Ballegooijen, Jonas Van hove (both Kiwa) and Arthur Dallau (DronePort Rotterdam).