Husqvarna Group has invested in Yeti Snow Technology, a Norwegian company delivering autonomous snow clearance systems to aiports.

Husqvarna, together with the original investors, Semcon and Øveraasen, now hold equal parts in Yeti. The collaboration in Yeti is aimed at further exploring autonomous solutions for airports, including robotic grass cutting.

For Husqvarna Group, the collaboration means entering a brand-new market but evolving on solutions the company has been involved with for many years.

In an official statement Husqvarna said, "Grass cutting at airports is a key safety issue. Tall grass attracts birds that potentially are drawn into the aircraft engines causing security hazards. The routine of manual grass cutting is not only time consuming and costly, but also a subject of continuous scale-up and down of task force depending on season and weather conditions. Autonomous robotic grass cutters provide a cost efficient and flexible way of always keeping the green spaces surrounding run- and taxiways in great shape minimizing the risk of bird strikes. In addition, autonomous operations provides a number of additional advantages. The machines operates 24/7 enabling high operational efficiency and digital control enhances the safety by minimizing the risk of human errors including work safety issues, a top priority for airports."

Yeti is the first in the world to operate autonomous snow clearance systems and trucks in a live airport environment. Currently, Yeti has tested autonomous systems in Norway. Together with solutions from Husqvarna Group, the aim is to provide operators with a more comprehensive autonomous solution for all seasons of the year.

Sascha Menges, President Husqvarna Division said, “Autonomous technology has been a focus for quite some time at Husqvarna Group. By combining our know-how with the knowledge and experience of our new partners, we aim at improving the airport management enhancing safety, lowering costs and providing a better passenger experience."