Swedish Airolit, manufacturer and supplier of smart and secure UAV systems for Nordic defense, achieved its strongest year to date in 2024. With a 642% increase in sales, a two-fold enlargement of its manufacturing facility, and a growing workforce, the company is now scaling up for continued expansion domestically and internationally.
Sales increased by more than 640% over the year. During this time, Airolit enlarged its workforce from 11 to 18 employees, with five more recruitments planned for the fall. Meanwhile, the size of the Airolit manufacturing facilities more than doubled – from 463 to 1,100 square meters – to meet the increased demand for industrial-grade drones.
“We’re seeing huge interest in our UAV solutions, and are expanding our business on several levels to meet the increased demand for versatile drones adapted to the Nordic climate,” said Claes Kjölhede, CEO of Airolit, adding:
“We’re still in the start-up phase, but are now laying the foundation for robust domestic production capacity, and making our UAV solutions available to meet rapidly growing demand.”
Strengthened capability and focus going forward
In line with its growth, Airolit has also strengthened its management. Joakim Andersson, “President – Engines” of GKN Aerospace with extensive experience from the aerospace and defense industry, recently joined the company’s Board of Directors. At the same time, Airolit is poised for continued geographical expansion with plans to enter the Finnish market in 2025.
Airolit’s UAV platforms are developed in Sweden with a particular focus on meeting defense requirements – in terms of robustness, adaptation to the Nordic climate, and high information security. The growth in 2024 gives the company a strong take-off point for continued expansion in the coming years.
“Our strength lies in the fact that we combine technical excellence with an understanding of the real conditions for Nordic defense. We’re seeing growing demand for reliable, locally developed UAV solutions, and are determined to continue to be involved and forefront that development,” said Kjölhede.