What are the critical barriers and facilitating factors influencing the adoption and integration of drone technology in last-mile delivery logistics for B2C transactions in Belgium?
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- This thesis is a study on the different barriers and facilitating factors to the adoption of drone technology for last-mile B2C parcel delivery in Belgium. Through a literature review and an empirical analysis of the Belgian context, including interviews with experts, this study exposes the important regulatory, technical, economic, and social factors that impact the implementation of such a delivery system. Legislation is complex, particularly regarding BVLOS flights, which presents itself as the main obstacle, while technical constraints such as navigation and weather resistance also pose challenges. The main facilitating factors are related to environmental sustainability objectives, the potential for operational efficiency, and the growing market demand driven by consumer expectations for ever-faster deliveries. The research highlights that drone delivery in Belgium is more feasible through hybrid models, such as deliveries to local delivery points or smart lockers, rather than direct home solutions. Although several obstacles remain, the study concludes that the evolution of the Belgian regulatory environment, collaboration between the public and private sectors, as well as targeted technological investments, offer promising prospects for integrating drones into sustainable and efficient last-mile logistics for B2C transactions.