As a leading producer of tactical uncrewed aerial vehicles and optical payloads, Edge Autonomy understands the critical importance of carefully designed production facilities and adherence to the highest safety standards. As a result of a growing demand for their products, there was a need to expand production facilities, and the BLV Advisory Group team provided their assistance in this process. Edgars Eglītis, who represented the client as Construction Project Manager at BLV Advisory Group, discusses how this process is being managed and why technical expertise in construction projects is often undervalued.
Edge Autonomy has operated in Latvia since 2009, when the uncrewed systems manufacturer was founded as UAV Factory. The Edge Autonomy brand was established when the company merged with the U.S.-based Jennings Aeronautics.
The company is a leading producer of world-class uncrewed aerial vehicles (UAVs) and its products are supplied to governments, commercial clients, and academic institutions.
The increased demand for the company’s products has had a significant impact on its approach to future development. Edge Autonomy places a high priority on customer service and consistent response to an increased interest in product development. As demand continued to rise it became clear that new production facilities were needed, along with a technical approach to facility development—an area where the BLV Advisory Group team has proven expertise.
As BLV Advisory Group Construction Project Manager Edgars Eglītis explains, given the company’s previous experience with industrial projects, the team has demonstrated that a technical approach is key to the successful development of such facilities.
”Edge Autonomy approached us with a request to work with the company's production needs to clearly define the requirements for the new building. In this process, we act as the client's representatives, ensuring that their technical expertise is integrated into the construction process. It's no secret that the higher the client's qualification, the more productive and predictable the entire process becomes.
Edgars EglītisConstruction project manager
“In our practice, we have observed a vast difference in client knowledge, which can greatly affect the construction process.” ”A technical approach to real estate projects is much more effective,” he explains. “Our team can maintain the necessary level of competence.”
Given global events and the rapid development of drones, along with high demand, Edge Autonomy management made a strategic decision to optimize processes, simultaneously increasing production line capacity and laying the foundation for future operations.
“Because there was a need for the expanded facility to be operational on a short timeline, the decision was made to choose one of the industrial developers’ projects that was already ready for active construction or had all the necessary documentation prepared,” Eglītis explains. “There aren’t many such facilities in Latvia, but ultimately a cooperation agreement was signed with the real estate developer SIRIN Development. The new Edge Autonomy production facility will be located in the SIRIN Park Marupe logistics park near the airport.”
The role of project management for the client is not new to the BLV Advisory Group team, but as the company’s construction project manager explains, the current demand from clients is specifically for project management based on technical expertise and qualifications. BLV Advisory Group possesses strong technical expertise that allows them to successfully offer clients a different approach and results.
”You could say that we are surgeons who have become hospital managers. However, in Latvian practice, projects are often implemented with hospital managers going to the operating room themselves, which is not the most successful approach.
Edgars EglītisConstruction project manager
“Occasionally, the customer may need to make changes during the project. Every time the facility’s needs are updated, we immediately get to work and adjust the construction process to ensure everything needed by all parties involved is provided,” says the Construction Project Manager. “When talking to the client, we truly listen to their needs and think ahead about the next decisions that need to be made.”
The comprehensive services offered by BLV Advisory Group simplify the construction process not only for the client and developer but for a much broader group of people.By approaching the construction process meticulously from the very beginning, the risk of redoing work is eliminated. This is why the involvement of a competent engineering consultant in defining the initial task and requirements is especially important
“Regardless of what we are building, any impact on the production process is costly for the client, so we always have to be prepared for any changes to stay on schedule,” says Eglītis.
”BLV Advisory Group has been helpful during the developer selection process. Grenču Logistics Park was chosen not only for its technical and infrastructural strengths but also for its strategic location and accessibility, which provide enhanced connections with other companies and major European markets. We are confident that BLV Advisory Group’s guidance will ensure that the construction will surpass our expectations.
Aids KučisGeneral Manager of Edge Autonomy Riga
SIRIN Development’s logistics park occupies a total area of 28,000 square meters, which the developer acquired at the end of 2021. The construction of the logistics park is expected to be fully completed by the end of 2024, after which the new Edge Autonomy production facility will also be ready to start operations.
