GCHKP’s Kathy Kruger gets a hands-on look at the future of aviation, taking the pilot’s seat in the YIVTOL S-ZERO at Global Drone 2026.
Drones in the air, robots on the ground and autonomous technology beneath the water. The future was on show on the Gold Coast this week as Global Drone 2026 took over Cbus Super Stadium.
The inaugural three-day event brought together industry, government, researchers, educators and technology companies to explore the rapidly growing fields of drones, robotics, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and advanced air mobility.
For us, it was an opportunity to showcase the capability already growing within the Gold Coast Health and Knowledge Precinct, while connecting with companies working at the forefront of these technologies.
We joined Griffith University at the event, showcasing the research, infrastructure, talent and development opportunities available to advanced technology and manufacturing companies looking for a place to establish, collaborate and grow.
And there was plenty of home-grown capability on show.
As a presenting partner of Global Drone 2026, Griffith showcased technology and expertise spanning drones, robotics, aviation, artificial intelligence, autonomous systems and advanced manufacturing.
Visitors could see a large fixed-wing drone from Griffith’s Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT), flight simulators and drone pilot training pathways, aerial and underwater drones, and an AI-enabled drone trailer platform supporting applications including coastal safety, search and rescue, marine monitoring and shark detection.
Based within our Precinct, ADaPT brings researchers and industry together across advanced design, prototyping and manufacturing, helping turn ideas into physical products and real-world applications.
That capability sits within a much broader ecosystem of research, health, AI, advanced technologies and industry, alongside Griffith University, two major hospitals, startups, scale-ups and global companies.
And we’re looking to grow it.
With development-ready land and commercial opportunities available within the Precinct, Global Drone gave our team the chance to connect directly with companies working across advanced manufacturing, autonomous systems and emerging technologies and start conversations about what their next stage of growth could look like on the Gold Coast.
But building the next generation tech ecosystem isn’t only about attracting companies. It’s also about developing the people and skills those companies will need.
Global Drone’s Future Careers Day, presented by Griffith University, gave school students the opportunity to explore coding, flight simulators, drone technology and the rapidly evolving careers emerging across robotics, engineering and autonomous systems.
Together, it’s a glimpse of what we’re working towards: a place where research, talent, industry and infrastructure come together, and where the technologies shaping our future can be developed, tested and put to work.
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- GCHKP’s Aaron and Griffith University’s Sally McPhee showcasing the Precinct’s connected technology ecosystem and advanced manufacturing opportunities at Global Drone 2026.
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- Exploring technology beneath the surface, with a Griffith University student showcasing underwater drone technology at Global Drone 2026.
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- GCHKP’s Kathy Kruger and Craig Rowsell with Professor Stefanie Feih from Griffith University’s Advanced Design and Prototyping Technologies Institute (ADaPT) at Global Drone 2026.
