# Lessons from Building a Drone Remote Operations Centre in France with HOKTA - Event: NestGen ’26 - Published: October 2, 2026 - Length: 21:15 - Watch: https://nestgen.org/library/watch/kGySqzqrhK4/ > The transcript of a recorded NestGen session, for reading or for use with an AI tool. It comes from the video's > captions; automatic captions can mishear names and terms. ## About this session Running drones beyond visual line of sight at scale depends on more than the aircraft. Operators need a remote operations centre that can oversee multiple sites, keep flights compliant, and hold up day after day, all within a regulatory framework that is still taking shape. In this NestGen session, HOKTA will share the lessons learned from building a drone remote operations centre in France, and what BVLOS operators should think through when setting up centralised, remote oversight of autonomous drone operations. ## Transcript **[0:00]** So hello everyone and welcome back to another very interesting session at NextGen. Do let us know in the chat where you're joining in from today for today. And our next session takes us to the south of France where our pioneer has spent more than a decade quietly building the backbone of professional drone services in the country. Uh running drone operations at scale means managing them across many locations from a single control room reliably every day. And this is our challenge our next guest has built his work around. So please join me in welcoming Cédric, founder and CEO of Instadrone and Hôpital. Cédric uh spent 20 years in the French Gendarmerie, the French police, before moving into professional drone services. Over the last 13 **[1:01]** years, he built the first drone operator network in France, 30 agencies at home and five more abroad. Three years ago, he moved into the autonomous drone operations and today his company Hôpital runs these ops for the logistics industry, ports and other sensitive sites. He is joining us to share the lessons from building a remote drone operation center in France. So Cédric, welcome. Thank you for being with us. A very warm welcome to you. But before I pass it over , sorry, go ahead Cédric. Hello everyone. First of all, excuse my French because my English is not good enough to be able to speak to you, but I am very happy and very proud to be able to participate in a NextGen session at the invitation of FlytBase. Um, a few days ago I received Nitin who came to our offices in France to enjoy the southern French sun and we had a lot of fun exchanging ideas about what we all do together and what you **[2:06]** all do together around the world and it is really a source of pride for me to be able to talk about it with you. Today, we are going to present, I would say, a rather original concrete case and also give you an overview of what is happening in France with the deployment of automated drones. **[3:14]** OK, thanks a lot. As I mentioned in the introduction, we are going to talk about the integration of automated drones in France and Europe, which began a few years ago. However, it must be stressed that we are lagging behind global developments, which I personally believe is due to a rather slower implementation of regulations. We created Octa after 13 years of experience with Instadrone, which is a specialist in technical services. We carry out more than 10,000 missions per year. We created Octa solely for the purpose of developing the integration of automated drones and humanoid robotics, as we have a global vision of this experience. Obviously, as indicated, we are targeting industrial sites, logistics sites, ports, airports and sensitive sites. And today, we are going to talk about a sensitive site since we **[4:19]** have installed a DJI Dock 3 automated drone on a site of EDF, Électricité de France, which is the main energy supplier in France. Can you pass? Yes. So, we are going to talk to you about an exceptional site because it is the 2nd largest tidal power plant in the world. It is a fairly large dam that allows for the production of electricity. It is 750m long and there is a factory underwater that is so big that you have to work by bicycle to get from one end to the other. Uh, it's a pretty huge reservoir since we have 20 km of length on either side of the dam over an area of ​​ 2200 ha. And the traffic is very frequent since the road carries more than 30,000 vehicles per day on average and up to 60,000 vehicles in the summer. So there you have the **[5:22]** general context. Basile, ? Yes. The customer's need. Thank you. The customer's need, as is often the case in our industry, as you know, starts from a unique need that we will develop as we go along through discussions or construction that we will have with our customers. Because I am convinced that the integration of automated drones is a co-construction between the client and the integrator. So the first client, uh, the first need, pardon, of the client was to avoid having to uh, activate sound cannons when boats or pleasure craft were too close to the dam, huh, because as you know, dams generate water movement and strong currents, and so it was necessary to avoid that. So that was the first need. However, in discussions with our clients, we understood that they had other ways, a historical way of doing things that needed to be changed. Because I am convinced and I want to embody this in **[6:26]** France that our vision of automated drones for sensitive sites is game-changer, that is to say that we are going to change the way we do things, we are going to change the way we process, the way we work for our clients. And so we will be able to improve the responsiveness of the operators on site, streamline the passage of boats, reduce noise pollution and that was the initial need, strengthen public safety at the site, provide visual confirmation thanks to the eye in the sky and automate surveillance operations. And of course, once you have a dock and you know the performance of these systems, you can perform inspections. Thank you, Eddy. Our answer, as you know and understand, is the installation of a DJI Dock 3 system with a DJI Matrice 4T D thermal drone, since the thermal camera will allow us to **[7:29]** meet other needs. Dock 3 ensures the drone's safety in its box, battery charging, takeoff and landing, mission execution, and the broadcasting of audio and visual messages, since we have equipped the drone with a speaker. You already know all of this. But it's important to remember this to properly contextualize the answer. Next, the flight application will allow us to supervise missions, to control these missions even for operators not used to drone flight operations, to broadcast live videos to the control center, to coordinate the management of alerts to existing VMS. Flight Deck does this very well and knows how to integrate the feed to Genetec, Milestone, existing VMS, and to have centralized data management. Thank you, Badri. **[8:35]** The use cases in this specific case are restricted media areas because, as you understand, the turbulence due to the tides that generate electricity involves strong currents. And in this environment, we have boaters, fishermen, swimmers and onlookers who need to be warned in real time. So, the drone will take off and deliver a pre-recorded message that will warn boaters and tourists of the risk associated with tidal movement and water movement. We will be able to intervene very, very quickly. Let's imagine that a boater gets too close to the dam and inadvertently or clumsily puts himself in danger, we will be able to send sound messages to wake him up quickly and tell him "Attention, uh you need to regain control of your boat." We will also expose, or rather less expose, the staff, uh, the lock keepers, who **[9:39]** have a very important role in the management. We will be able to quickly assess the risk thanks to the image transmitted by the drone, either in a conventional way or thermally, since, as I remind you, it is a thermal drone. To gain an overview of the situation and to support the teams on the ground by providing them with information. Infrastructure monitoring is important because when you have such a large site to manage, you need to be able to follow it continuously, to check that the structure is not suffering damage due to erosion, due to weather, uh, due to concrete movement, quite simply. So, we will be able to do monitoring, day and night, once again, and detect all anomalies. And that's where we'll see the synergy between Octa, which is the integrator, and Instadrone, which is the company that will process the data. Well, we specialize in the analysis of anomalies in civil engineering, and this will allow us to produce a report. So, once again, you see that interactions are very important. **[10:40]** And I'll go even further, we'll talk about it later, uh, the training center will allow us to perfectly train the lock keepers in the use of the system. We will also be able to uh plan missions with automated flights, patrols and random patrols to bring information. Thank you, Basil. THANKS. The regulations. Uh, this is a crucial issue. We have a problem, uh, do you have the translation or is it? OK. OK, thank you, Paul. Regulation is a very important subject in Europe and in France, because as you know, even though European regulations are harmonized, **[11:44]** it turns out that there are sometimes additional layers in certain countries. Therefore, we have every interest in discussing intelligently with the DGAC and the DSAC, which are the French authorities for issuing authorizations. We have every interest in demonstrating to them our goodwill to include these processes in a very, very important regulation and safety framework. Uh, and and and that's where, uh, discussions are needed to [clear throat] rapidly increase the pace of issuing permits. The idea now with the creation of Octa, and then my competitors, because I won't be the only one, is to be able to implement all of this much faster . So, uh, this experiment, since it lasted 6 months, with our main client, had to be done in strict compliance with the law. Uh, respecting procedures, risk assessments, SORA integration, huh, which is the document that will allow us to fly **[12:44]** autonomously and repeatedly. Octa supported EDF with regulatory compliance, operational safety operations, operator training, and, as I mentioned earlier, Instadrone Academy delivered the training as a certified training center, and we provided all the documentation and operational workflows. And our drones can also be integrated, and again, these are things to be implemented in the SORA, right, parachute recovery systems , general accessories like LEDs or speakers, and much more specific accessories like drop buoys, defibrillators, and I think there will be more and more of them. We already offer CH4 cameras or, uh, H2S sniffers. Thank you, Basile. Yes. The benefits of the system, well, it's that we've secured - we've strengthened the security of the site. We have reduced intervention times and reduced the risks to **[13:48]** people. Lock keepers were given immediate situational awareness. The operational efficiency is obvious. As you know, we operate on small areas, but with automation and permanent system availability. We all know that DJI Dock drones are subject to battery recharging, but with planned organization, we can fly very regularly without having this availability problem. Finally, scalability, that is to say, being able to reproduce what we have done there on other EDF sites with a multi-site operational capacity thanks to remote management and to seamlessly integrate the entire DJI ecosystem and partners at our customers' sites. Thank you. **[14:49]** In conclusion, before answering your questions, I will try. Well, this solution was ultimately chosen by our client. After the proof of concept, the proof of concept, it was adopted and so we are in the process of putting this in place permanently. We will be able to develop broader infrastructure inspections within the group, advanced BVLOS operations, intelligent and autonomous patrols thanks to the various platforms offered, AI-powered detection capabilities, and you know how important it is that AI comes to augment flight management platforms like FlytBase does and automate interaction with existing VMS systems. So for my part, besides this presentation of a concrete use case and I am happy to be able to share it because it is perhaps one of the few sites of this type to be **[15:51]** equipped, I am convinced that the future will prove us all right on the integration of automated drones. We are on the right track. We absolutely must make our clients understand that they will gain productivity time, that they will reduce the risks to their staff, and that they will increase the security and surveillance of their sites thanks to these systems. But it's a paradigm shift, it deserves education, it deserves information, and it deserves spending time with clients to fully understand their needs. The experience of the last three years tells me that ultimately every time we have a request for a particular use case, it will result in 10, 15, 20 different needs in each industry. And each industry will have specific general needs, we will talk about security and surveillance, but ultimately in the technical operation of sites, we will find general use cases and specific , particular use cases, due to the geography of the site, due to the specific needs of **[16:54]** the client, linked to the specificity of the work. So it's really a discussion that needs to be had with your client. So, I am convinced that we must continue in this direction, that we must invest massively. Moreover, we have just raised 4 million euros in order to become the leader in this market in France. We will make every effort to integrate this and replicate it as has been done in other countries. I am quite impressed by what has been done by all your services in different countries around the world because you have been able to understand, duplicate, integrate and scale. The most important thing now is being able to scale all of this. So there you have it, thank you all for your attention. I hope I have been clear and uh concise uh so as not to confuse you too much and that my French has not disturbed you too much, also hoping that the translation worked all the time, Basile. Um, I will be able to answer your questions if there are any, and perhaps Basile can pass them on to me because if your **[17:55]** questions deserve longer explanations, I will be happy to answer each of you by email, taking the time to explain everything properly . There you go, I was quite quick, huh, since we're a bit ahead of schedule, but I think I've said everything about the integration, once again, of automated drones in France. I repeat, even if France is a little late to the party, we will quickly catch up because you know, you know that France is a country that has been a pioneer in the use of drones in Europe and in the world and that unfortunately, but it is inherent to our country, the regulations add layers and we need to organize ourselves together and discuss with the authorities in order to put this in place in a sustainable and definitive way. That's it, thank you all for your attention. Basile, I am? Is it good for? Yes. Ah yes, so uh thank you so much. I tried to get the most of it. Uh the of course the **[19:01]** translation app was not at its best, but I think it's back right now. Uh would you mind, Cédric, if I ask a few questions before we wrap it? I'll try to, you know, simplify it and you can also maybe check it at ! ! ! Do you hear? Yes, I hear you well. Just give me a moment. I think so . But I I I I said I I I can answer for everyone if you want directly by mail. I don't know if it's Yes. possible. But can take the time to answer for every question by for every people. And it's a pleasure for me. It's difficult for me to answer now directly because my English is not good. I'm sorry. Yes. No worries, Cédric. I think that's a wonderful idea. So, why don't you just quickly drop in your email ID or email address in the chat window. At the same time, I will also collate all these questions and send it over to you. So, you can **[20:03]** know how to respond directly. Ah just go ahead and drop in your email address. And for everyone in the audience, thank you so much for tuning in. Ah I hope we were able to convey a lot of value. Cédric had a lot of interesting insights, especially the scale of operations that he's running. Ah the the dam case study was a shows the scale of operations that's going on. So, thank you again, for joining in and tuning in for next gen. Ah we have a lot of sessions happening in the next few hours. So, go over head over to the agenda page and check out the next sessions or the other sessions that are already going on. So, all right. Thanks again, Cédric, for joining us. And we'll see you soon. Yes. Yes, thank you everybody. And I want to say to you we are in the right direction for all. We have to go more and more and more. Thank you. **[21:05]** direction for all we have to go more and more and more. Thank you. Thank you so much. Bye bye. Bye bye.