ZenaDrone, the drone subsidiary of ZenaTech Inc. (NASDAQ: ZENA), has received Specific Operations Risk Assessment (SORA) approval from the Irish Aviation Authority, clearing the way for large-scale autonomous agricultural drone operations in Ireland.
The authorization, granted under European Union Aviation Safety Agency guidelines, permits ZenaDrone to conduct autonomous aerial missions for spreading fertilizer, lime, bio stimulants, and other non-plant protection products across Irish farmland.
Under the SORA framework, operators can conduct these missions without customers directly managing aviation safety regulation, pilot certification, or hardware maintenance — a structure ZenaTech designed to simplify adoption for agricultural clients.
The regulatory clearance comes amid growing environmental pressure on Irish agriculture. Ireland's Environmental Protection Agency reported in 2026 that nitrogen concentrations in Irish rivers had risen 10% year-over-year, citing excess fertilizer run-off as a leading cause. Precision drone-based application could offer farmers a more targeted alternative to traditional spreading methods.
CEO Shaun Passley said the EASA framework used across the European Union provides "a replicable template to apply market by market" for future expansion.
ZenaDrone operates three manufacturing facilities located in Arizona, Dubai, and Taiwan, developing autonomous drone solutions for government, defense, and industrial applications. The subsidiary handles manufacturing while the parent company runs a global Drone as a Service business, offering its AI-powered drone solutions on a subscription basis across sectors including forestry, renewables, construction, and infrastructure monitoring.
ZenaTech's EMEA Drone as a Service headquarters is based in Dublin, positioning the company to service markets across Europe, the Middle East, Asia, and Australia from the Irish base.
The approval marks the latest regulatory milestone for ZenaTech as it expands its autonomous drone services into agricultural applications across multiple geographies.
