Luxembourg launches aerial medicine of the future

10 July 2025 made Luxembourg's logistics history: the drone of the Griffin project made its first official medical flight, transporting a blood sample from Robert Schuman Hospitals (Kirchberg) to Réunis Laboratories (Junglinster). This event, observed by three ministers at once - Yuriko Backes (mobility), Martin Despres (health) and Lex Delles (economy) - was a landmark step towards high-tech and sustainable medicine.

The Griffin project is a collaboration between four entities: Laboratoires Réunis, POST Luxembourg, Santé Services and Luxembourg Air Services. They have joined forces to implement the Eiger 03 electric drone developed by the Swiss company RigiTech. The device can reach speeds of up to 100 km/h and can carry up to 3kg of biomaterial - blood, urine, serum, etc. The flight from Kirchberg to Junglinster takes only 10 minutes, making it especially valuable for emergency diagnostics or during busy traffic hours.

Unlike cars, the drone emits no CO₂ emissions and consumes only 0.7 kWh of energy per 100 kilometres, demonstrating not only speed but also environmental friendliness. Tests have shown that samples in flight are subjected to less vibration than when transported by road - an important factor for the accuracy of subsequent analyses.

Safety is the cornerstone of the project. Drones fly only in virtual "geo-cells", coordinated with the Civil Aviation Authority to avoid flying over residential areas. All critical systems are duplicated and an automatic parachute is activated in case of failure.

Griffin is not just a technology demonstration, but the beginning of a real transformation of medical logistics. New routes, improved procedures and integration of drones into everyday medical practice are expected in the future. From July 2023, the project participants are exploring technical implementation and preparing the groundwork for a scalable biomaterials delivery system in the country.