A new Guyanese-Canadian partnership aimed at providing advanced drone inspection services to the energy sector was officially launched on Thursday with the signing of a joint venture agreement between Dragonfly Solutions Group Inc of Guyana and Canadian company ALTOMAXX Offshore. The joint venture, Energy Services Solutions, was launched during a ceremony at Herdmanston Lodge and is expected to combine ALTOMAXX’s internationally certified expertise with Dragonfly’s growing local capacity to deliver inspection services using advanced drone technology. Speaking at the launch, Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Dragonfly Solutions Group Brian Smith said the partnership will significantly strengthen the company’s technical capabilities and certifications. “By partnering with this company, Dragonfly is able to gain technical skills that the company possesses. From being able to qualify to inspect vessels with ABS (American Bureau of Shipping) certification, being ISO (International Organisation for Standardisation) certified for demand operations. The only Guyanese company able to achieve those certificates through the joint venture,” Smith said.

Also addressing the gathering was ALTOMAXX Offshore Co-Founder and Chief Operations Officer (COO) Steve Priestley, who explained that Dragonfly’s commitment to education and development was a major factor in the Canadian firm’s decision to partner with the Guyanese company. “We saw something special right away. Our company, ALTOMAXX, started in a similar way that Brian did. We’ve now done work in close to 30 countries: Europe, Australia, Africa, South America. One of the things that attracted us to working with Dragonfly is their passion for education and growth. One of the things that our pilots do, we’re spending our time in school when we’re not flying drones, advocating for STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics),” Priestley said. President of the Georgetown Chamber of Commerce and Industry (GCCI) Kathy Smith also delivered remarks on collaboration and entrepreneurship in Guyana’s emerging economy. Meanwhile, Labour and Manpower Planning Minister Keoma Griffith described the partnership as an example of how entrepreneurial vision can be transformed into meaningful business opportunities.

“This initiative really demonstrates how you take a passion and turn it into partnership, which is the encouragement I keep giving to all Guyanese every day when I’m able to speak to a room of people, especially young people,” Griffith said. He noted that Dragonfly’s growth since 2020 demonstrates the opportunities available to Guyanese entrepreneurs amid the country’s rapid economic expansion.