Microsoft TechSpark grants $100K to UND project to help foster drone innovation

Today, Microsoft announced that it has granted $100,000 in project funding that will help the University of North Dakota (UND) Aerospace Foundation in its efforts to help drive North Dakota’s goals to be the center of drone innovation and entrepreneurism. The grant is expected to garner even more investment money in the project, about $500,000, and the money would help both UND and it’s partner Airtonomy in building a framework for secure, remote, autonomous, multi-drone operations.

“TechSpark saw the drone innovation in North Dakota’s Red River Valley that is driving exciting advances for the U.S. drone industry and wanted to be a part of it,” said Kate Behncken, general manager of Global Community Engagement at Microsoft. “This cutting-edge project has the potential to increase crop yields and boost the production of renewable energy through safe drone advancements created locally, leading to greater economic opportunities for North Dakotans.”

Microsoft’s TechSpark is a program aimed at growing economic opportunity for all Americans, by partnering with rural and smaller metropolitan communities.

You can read Microsoft’s press release here.