News about Terra Drone’s new regional office in Queensland, the Australian state covering the continent’s northeast corner, made the rounds last week and it provides further proof of how regulation and market share will dominate developments in the commercial drone industry in short term and long term.

Terra Drone is one of Japan’s leading UAV providers and their expansion into Australia underscores their commitment to getting their technology into the hands of more commercial drone operators. That they’re focused on operators in a different country illustrates where and how organizations are looking to take advantage of the technology and use it in industries ranging from land surveying to forest surveying to mine surveying.

Deputy Premier and Minister for Trade and Investment Jackie Trad mentioned that the government’s focus on innovation made their region an ideal place to establish a new home. Terra Drone is set to leverage relationships that they’ve already established with local business and academics, but their physical presence in the area showcases why the company made this move.

“They highly evaluated our business as drone total service provider,” Tsuyoshi Honda from Terra Drone mentioned. “They can support our business expansion in this state because of their commitment to innovation.”

Honda mentioned they’ve already gotten several inquiries from major customers who have overseas branches, which speaks to the need and interest in the technology. While the regulation and specific way in which operators in Australia differs from the rest of the world, a focus on how and where this technology makes sense is the key for organizations that want to ensure drones can create a powerful return on investment.

Questions around how regulation impacts what operators can and can’t do with their drone for commercial purposes are at the top of mind of everyone, but this news is proof that such questions are being worked through. Companies on both sides of the industry are looking to establish how these tools can and are making a bottom line difference across the world, and the push to cultivate a worldwide drone market has already begun.