Healthcare drone service expands to Uddevalla, bringing AEDs within minutes
Press release 21.08.2026
“In the event of cardiac arrest, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early access to an AED are critical for survival. While the ambulance is on its way, the drone can deliver an AED several minutes earlier than conventional emergency resources. In cardiac arrest, those minutes can make all the difference”
The Västra Götaland Region is expanding its healthcare drone service to Uddevalla, where Everdrone’s new drone base will provide approximately 38,000 residents with rapid access to automated external defibrillators (AEDs) in cases of suspected cardiac arrest.
“The Uddevalla base has been strategically located based on population density, historical emergency incidents and available airspace to maximize coverage across the municipality,” says Daniel Blecher, Head of Customer Operations of Everdrone.
Everdrone’s healthcare drones fly at an altitude of approximately 60 metres en route to a suspected cardiac arrest. Upon arrival, the drone descends to around 30 metres and lowers the AED safely to the ground using a winch. The system is designed to deliver an automated external defibrillator (AED) within three minutes of an emergency call throughout its coverage area. Its delivery accuracy has also been scientifically validated in a clinical study. These rapid response times often mean that life-saving equipment arrives several minutes before the ambulance, significantly improving the chances of survival.
“In the event of cardiac arrest, immediate cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) and early access to an AED are critical for survival. While the ambulance is on its way, the drone can deliver an AED several minutes earlier than conventional emergency resources. In cardiac arrest, those minutes can make all the difference,” says Magnus H. von Geijer, COO of Everdrone.
The drone system is based on Everdrone’s latest-generation healthcare drone, E3, which offers higher speed, longer range and improved performance in Nordic weather conditions compared with previous models.
“The expansion to Uddevalla marks another step towards making drone-delivered AEDs an established part of emergency medical services in the Västra Götaland Region. At the same time, we continue to develop the platform for additional healthcare applications,” says Magnus H. von Geijer.
With the addition of Uddevalla, the Västra Götaland Region now has five operational drone bases, providing coverage for approximately 300,000 residents. Existing bases are located in Trollhättan, Vänersborg and Mölndal, while a fourth base was established in Borås earlier this year. The Västra Götaland Region project is carried out in collaboration between the Region, Karolinska Institutet and Everdrone.
