Australian startup Flirtey and University of Nevada, Reno have signed a research and development agreement on drones.

The University of Nevada, Reno and Australian startup Flirtey have signed a research and development deal. Flirtey builds drones for aerial deliveries. Set up by students at Sydney University, Flirtey is hoping the partnership with the university in the Silver State will help it enter the US market as soon as the country allows commercial drone delivery.

The market for drone deliveries has been heating up over recent months despite the US Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) not having decided yet on whether to allow the technology. Google has been testing drones as part of its Project Wing for two years, while Amazon has filed a request for approval with the FAA seeking permission to test its own drones for Amazon Prime Air.

In contrast, the Civil Aviation Safety Authority in Australia has already legalised drones, and was one of the first in the world to do so. That decision has allowed Flirtey to extensively test its drones. It has concluded more than 100 successful tests delivering textbooks from university textbook vendor Zookal.

The partnership with the Nevadan institution will now allow Flirtey to use the university’s research and development laboratories to further design, manufacture and research collaboration for its devices. It will also gain access to its indoor flight testing sites.

Matthew Sweeney, chief executive at Flirtey, said: “Flirtey is partnering with the University of Nevada, Reno, to pioneer an industry, to develop safe UAV [unmanned aerial vehicle, the technical term for a drone] delivery technology, and to position ourselves as a first mover when the US commercial market opens up. The collaboration with the university is an important step in Flirtey’s growth by allowing us to use their facilities and test Flirteys on campus. Nevada is one of just six locations in the US approved by the Federal Aviation Administration for UAV testing, with its close proximity to Silicon Valley, a budding tech scene, and state’s strong aeronautical history, Reno is positioned to become the biggest little city in the world UAV space.”