Canada-Guyana drone venture takes flight to serve energy sector

A new Guyanese-Canadian partnership aimed at providing advanced drone inspection services to the energy sector was officially launched on Thursday with the signing of a joint venture agreement between Dragonfly Solutions Group Inc of Guyana and Canadian company ALTOMAXX Offshore. The joint venture, Energy Services Solutions, was launched during a ceremony at Herdmanston Lodge and is expected to combine ALTOMAXX’s internationally certified expertise with Dragonfly’s growing local capacity to deliver inspection services using advanced drone technology. Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dragonfly Solutions Group Brian Smith said the partnership will significantly strengthen the company’s technical capabilities and certifications. “By partnering with this company, Dragonfly is able to gain technical skills that the company possesses. From being able to qualify to inspect vessels with ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) certification, being ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certified for demand operations. The only Guyanese company able to achieve those certificates through the joint venture,” Smith said.

Also addressing the gathering was ALTOMAXX Offshore Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer (COO) Steve Priestley, who explained that Dragonfly’s commitment to education and development was a major factor in the Canadian firm’s decision to partner with the Guyanese company. “We saw something special right away. Our company, ALTOMAXX, started in a similar way that Brian did. We’ve now done work in close to 30 countries: Europe, Australia, Africa, South America. One of the things that attracted us to working with Dragonfly is their passion for education and growth. One of the things that our pilots do, we’re spending our time in school when we’re not flying drones, advocating for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),” Priestley said. President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Kathy Smith also delivered remarks on collaboration and entrepreneurship in Guyana’s emerging economy. Meanwhile, Labour and Manpower Planning Minister Keoma Griffith described the partnership as an example of how entrepreneurial vision can be transformed into meaningful business opportunities.
“This initiative really demonstrates how you take a passion and turn it into partnership, which is the encouragement I keep giving to all Guyanese every day when I’m able to speak to a room of people, especially young people,” Griffith said. He noted that Dragonfly’s growth since 2020 demonstrates the opportunities available to Guyanese entrepreneurs amid the country’s rapid economic expansion.
“Brian took an idea and turned it into a passion. And six years later, that passion has now turned into partnership. And so it demonstrates to all of us here today what we can do with just an interest, with just an idea,” the Minister said. Griffith said the joint venture comes at a time when Guyana is experiencing unprecedented economic growth and transformation across multiple sectors, creating demand for new skills and technologies. “Technology, innovation and specialised skills will increasingly shape the jobs of the future, and our people must be equipped to seize those opportunities,” he said. The Minister highlighted the potential applications of drone technology in Guyana, including agriculture, environmental monitoring, infrastructure development, disaster response and workplace health and safety inspections. “Drone technology has the ability to assist us in our health and safety inspections. Of course, when we consider the kind of terrain that Guyana has, and the high risks that our people are venturing every day to ensure the health and safety and well-being of our workers, this is an opportunity for us to improve efficiency with the use of technology,” Griffith said. According to Griffith, partnerships such as the one between Dragonfly and ALTOMAXX are critical to workforce development because they combine local entrepreneurship with international expertise. “When local entrepreneurship and innovation are combined with international expertise and experience, opportunities are created not only for business growth, but for knowledge transfer, skills enhancement and workforce development,” he stated. Griffith also praised Dragonfly’s youth-focused initiatives, including Drone Girls and Drone Kids, which seek to expose young people to emerging technologies and future-orientated careers. “These initiatives help to inspire ambition, build confidence and broaden horizons. They remind us that workforce development begins long before an individual enters the labour market,” he said.