ANAVIA opens new R&D hub in Switzerland

ANAVIA, a Swiss unmanned aerial systems manufacturer and member of the EDGE Group, has expanded its European operations with the opening of a new facility in Bilten, Switzerland. The new site, which was officially unveiled in August, will serve as the company’s new headquarters and a research and development centre for next-generation unmanned helicopters, according to a September 1 press release. (This article was written in September but somehow lost!)

The Bilten location is the company’s second site, supplementing its original hub in Näfels, which will now be dedicated to serial production. According to ANAVIA, this “dual-hub model” is designed to accelerate development cycles and scale production. The company stated that the new facility is projected to create jobs and increase its workforce to more than 100 employees across both sites.

The expansion comes as the company continues the development of its modular HT-750 heavy-lift unmanned helicopter. The aircraft is designed for both personnel and cargo transport, with a stated endurance of 15 hours, a payload capacity of 750 kg, and a range of over 2,500 km. It is described as being capable of both manual-assisted and fully autonomous flight.

Jon Andri Jörg, co-CEO and founder of ANAVIA, stated that the new headquarters was a reflection of the company’s commitment to providing “advanced unmanned aerial systems for defence, security, and civil applications.” The other co-CEO, Ishan Sahgal, added that the new facility would “strengthen collaboration with our partners, and advance the future of autonomous rotorcraft systems.”

Company profile: ANAVIA

Founded in 2019, ANAVIA is a Swiss company specialising in unmanned rotary-wing aircraft. It was established by founders Jon Andri Jörg and Ishan Sahgal. The company was acquired by the UAE’s EDGE Group in November 2023, with EDGE taking a 52% majority stake. ANAVIA has been involved in defence-related contracts, including a multi-year contract with Lockheed Martin for advanced UAV technology and a major contract to supply 200 HT-100 and HT-750 unmanned helicopters to the UAE Ministry of Defence.

Calibre comment

EDGE has publicly stated its focus on becoming a global leader in autonomous systems. ANAVIA’s expertise in vertical take-off and landing (VTOL) unmanned helicopters, particularly in the heavy-lift category, directly complements EDGE’s existing portfolio of autonomous land and air systems. The group also owns Milrem, the European manufacturer of uncrewed ground systems, as well as a range of other manufacturers of UAVs. Its portfolio has grown rapidly and brought notable successes with it, including the recent contract with Kuwait for Falaj 3 missile ships, a contract with Malaysia to domestically produce assault rifles, and continued success within the UAE. 

By Sam Cranny-Evans, this article was written in September – after the news was announced – but somehow was not published at the time. It was finally published on November 6th, 2025. Credit for the lead image is ANAVIA.