ZenaTech wins Irish approval for drone crop services

ZenaTech said its ZenaDrone unit has cleared Irish Aviation Authority authorization to run drone-based fertilizer and soil nutrient services for farmers in Ireland. The approval gives the company a regulatory path to expand its Drone as a Service agriculture business across Europe.

Why it matters: - ZenaTech’s approval opens the door to large-scale precision agriculture work in Ireland using drones instead of heavy machinery. - The company can now target fertilizer, lime, bio stimulant and other non-plant protection applications while aiming to cut input costs, soil compaction, runoff risk and worker exposure. - The authorization may help ZenaTech turn drone farming into a recurring service model across Europe and other markets.

What happened: - ZenaTech said its subsidiary ZenaDrone received Specific Operations Risk Assessment approval from the Irish Aviation Authority. - The approval was granted under European Union Aviation Safety Agency guidelines. - The authorization applies to ZenaDrone’s EMEA Drone as a Service headquarters near Dublin, Ireland. - The company said the permit allows large-scale targeted aerial application on Irish farmland and granular spreading at scale. - ZenaTech said the Drone as a Service unit will expand precision agriculture services to farmers in Ireland.

The details: - The approved work includes aerial application of fertilizer, lime, bio stimulants and other non-plant protection products. - ZenaTech said drone-based application can reach terrain that is unsuitable for heavy machinery. - The company said the method can reduce soil compaction and runoff risk while lowering input costs and personnel exposure. - ZenaTech cited 2026 data from Ireland’s Environmental Protection Agency showing nitrogen concentrations in Irish rivers rose 10% year over year. - The company said excess fertilizer runoff was cited as a leading cause of that increase. - The SORA authorization lets the company run complex autonomous aerial missions at scale. - ZenaTech said customers do not need to manage aviation safety regulation, pilot certification, hardware costs or maintenance directly. - The company also framed the approval as support for a subscription-based Drone as a Service model in forestry, renewables, construction and infrastructure monitoring. - ZenaTech is listed on Nasdaq under ZENA, on the Frankfurt exchange under 49Q and on BMV under ZENA. - ZenaTech said it is a technology company focused on AI drone, Drone as a Service, enterprise SaaS and quantum computing solutions. - ZenaDrone develops and manufactures AI-powered autonomous drones for government, defense and industrial uses. - ZenaDrone’s product lineup under development includes the ZenaDrone 1000, IQ Nano, IQ Square, IQ Quad, IQ Aqua and IQ Octo. - ZenaDrone operates manufacturing facilities in Arizona, Dubai and Taiwan.

Between the lines: - The approval gives ZenaTech a repeatable regulatory template that could speed expansion market by market rather than forcing the company to start from scratch in each country. - Shaun Passley, ZenaTech’s CEO, said the company sees precision agriculture as a large and underpenetrated global opportunity. - Passley said the authorization supports future rollout and recurring Drone as a Service revenue growth across Europe and into other regions. - The company’s broader strategy is to scale DaaS as a recurring-revenue service across multiple geographies and industry verticals.

What's next: - ZenaTech said it plans to use the Irish approval as a model for future expansion across Europe. - The company also pointed to future growth in agriculture and adjacent sectors including logistics, ISR, cargo and counter-UAS. - ZenaTech said it continues to invest in drone swarms, quantum computing and advanced AI autonomy through R&D initiatives. - The company’s disclosure also notes planned franchise business strategy work for drone-based power washing is still in planning and subject to change.

The bottom line: - ZenaTech now has a regulatory foothold in Ireland that could help it scale drone farming services across Europe with a lower-friction path to market.