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ZenaTech, Inc., a technology solution provider specializing in AI (Artificial Intelligence) drones, Drone as a Service (DaaS), enterprise SaaS, and Quantum Computing solutions, announces that its U.S.-based subsidiary ZenaDrone has commenced flight testing of its custom-designed printed circuit boards (PCBs) at its UAE manufacturing and testing facility, integrating the proprietary boards directly into its ZenaDrone 1000 and IQ Nano drone platforms. The boards are designed and manufactured at the Company’s Taiwan-based Spider Vision Sensors (SVS) subsidiary, then shipped to UAE for integration and flight validation, representing the latest step in ZenaTech’s strategy to build a vertically integrated, defense-grade supply chain positioned to capture growing U.S. government demand for NDAA-compliant drone technology.
"Flight testing our in-house circuit boards is a proof point in our vertical integration strategy, which we believe is central to long-term shareholder value," said Shaun Passley, Ph.D., ZenaTech CEO. "Designing and manufacturing our own boards through Spider Vision Sensors, rather than depending on third-party or foreign suppliers, gives us control over cost, quality, and our timeline to Blue UAS certification, considered a gateway to higher-volume procurement and U.S. Defense Department and NATO contracts. With Chinese-made drones being pushed out of the federal market, we believe ZenaDrone is well positioned to capture a meaningful share of a U.S. defense drone market being reshaped in our favor."
This milestone advances ZenaDrone's vertical integration strategy of bringing core electronics design and manufacturing fully in-house. The rationale is threefold: greater supply chain resilience amid geopolitical and export-control uncertainty; improved gross margin potential from reduced reliance on external suppliers; and a shorter design-to-deployment cycle through direct control over circuit board design and testing. Successful validation will pave the way for components to be deployed across ZenaDrone's full platform lineup including the ZenaDrone 1000, IQ series, and Counter UAS products.
The custom PCBs are produced at Spider Vision Sensors' 16,000-square-foot Taiwan facility, which also is in the processes of manufacturing components such as cameras, sensors and motors consolidating key supply chain points under direct ZenaTech ownership. Taiwan's strength as an electronics hub supports high-precision manufacturing while reducing reliance on Chinese-made components. Taiwan is not designated a "covered foreign country" under the NDAA — making components manufactured there eligible for use in NDAA-compliant, Blue UAS-eligible drone systems.
NDAA compliance means adhering to the U.S. National Defense Authorization Act, which restricts foreign-made electronics, including Chinese-sourced components, in defense equipment. Blue UAS certification is a prerequisite for direct DoD and federal agency procurement and requires component-level traceability, including for PCBs. ZenaDrone currently has four drones in this process to achieve certification. This comes as the American Security Drone Act and new Federal Communications Commission (FCC) restrictions bar Chinese-made drones and components from federal use, displacing long-dominant manufacturers and creating an opportunity that management believes ZenaDrone's vertically integrated, non-Chinese supply chain is positioned to capture. Further updates will follow as the Company progresses through additional flight validation milestones.
