Holding the LUC Certificate
Unique authorization: Széchenyi István University, as the first European higher education institution, can now carry out drone operations under its own authority.
Széchenyi István University has received a Light UAS (Unmanned Aircraft Systems) operator certificate, making it the first higher education institution in Europe to obtain the highest-level authorization under the European drone regulations introduced in 2021. During the complex procedure, the aviation authority assessed the university’s suitability and confirmed that it is prepared for safe operation and possesses all the necessary competencies. This is particularly significant, as only about 30 out of the 1.8 million UAS operators registered in the EU hold this so-called LUC (Light UAS Operator Certificate) authorization.
The certificate allows drone operators to approve certain operations under their own authority after undergoing a regulatory screening, without needing to request separate permission for each operation. This greatly reduces administrative burdens while ensuring full compliance with regulatory and flight safety requirements.
Obtaining this authorization not only brings significant recognition but also offers considerable advantages. With it, the university can conduct drone-related research and development activities more flexibly, which is especially important in technical and engineering fields where drone usage is becoming increasingly prominent. In education, the authorization enables students to learn and perform practical work in accordance with industry standards, under expert supervision. This enhances their competitiveness in the job market and contributes to their involvement in innovative projects using the latest technologies.
In research, the use of drones offers vast opportunities in fields such as geoinformatics, environmental monitoring, and even transportation system development. With the LUC certificate, researchers at Széchenyi University can initiate their own projects and carry out specialized operations that would otherwise involve significant administrative burdens and slow down project progress within the current regulatory environment.
The acquisition of the authorization was made possible through years of collaboration between Széchenyi University’s Digital Development Center and Cloud for Intelligent Airspace (CloudIA) Ltd. The partnership provided the innovative solutions and professional foundations necessary to develop the operational manual and flight safety management system essential for obtaining the LUC certificate.
“The authorization is issued based on the unified framework of the European Union Aviation Safety Agency, which applies to all EU member states. The guidelines emphasize the safe and legally compliant use of drones, airspace protection, data privacy, and respect for privacy,” emphasized Dr. István Drotár, head of the Digital Development Center. “With this step, our university has once again demonstrated its commitment to technological innovation and industrial collaboration. The acquisition of the certificate is further proof that our institution is a key player in higher education and research and development, both nationally and internationally.”
The acquisition of the LUC authorization brings tremendous advantages to Széchenyi István University in both education and research and development. (Photo: Csaba József Májer)
