Manna Aero – European Strategic-Technological Analysis

Introduction
On a quiet morning in suburban Dublin, a drone ascends from a shopping center, zips above 70 feet and drops a paper bag via biodegradable tether into a back garden. Hardly anyone looks up[1][2]. This unassuming scene is powered by Manna Aero – an Irish startup using autonomous drones to deliver food, medicines and everyday goods within minutes. Founded by tech entrepreneur Bobby Healy in 2018, Manna has developed aviation-grade unmanned aircraft that fly at 80 km/h and complete deliveries in under three minutes within a 3 km radius[3]. In just a few years, the company’s 23 kg quadcopters have carried out over 200,000 flights across Irish suburbs and even in Finland and the US[4][5]. By achieving Europe’s first Light UAS Operator Certificate (LUC) and EU-wide beyond-visual-line-of-sight approval, Manna is blazing a trail in drone logistics[6][7]. While global giants like Amazon and Alphabet’s Wing experiment with aerial delivery, this Dublin-born venture has quietly taken the lead in routine drone operations at scale[8][4]. Beyond faster takeaways and coffee drops, Manna Aero’s rise signals something more profound: a homegrown European capability in autonomous systems, one that could bolster Europe’s strategic autonomy in technology. As competition in drone delivery intensifies, Manna stands out as a case study in how European innovation can reduce reliance on foreign suppliers and integrate cutting-edge unmanned systems into everyday life – and potentially into Europe’s future defense and resilience toolkit.