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Stephan van Vuren
"Technology only works when it is integrated": Joost Tuinman of Gardener Consultancy on drones, defence and the partnership with AirHub
AirHub has announced a strategic partnership with Joost Tuinman of Gardener Consultancy. Joost brings 27 years of experience as an officer in the Dutch Army, including senior roles at the Korps Commandotroepen (KCT) and SOCOM (the headquarters for special operations), followed by years at the Ministry of Defence in The Hague. Today he operates at the intersection of defence, security, industry, and innovation. We spoke with him about the market, the role of technology, and what this partnership means for the future of AirHub.
A career built at the intersection of strategy and operations
After nearly three decades in the military, Joost made the transition to the private sector about a year ago. Through Gardener Consultancy, he now supports organisations and leaders in making sharp strategic choices and turning them into real results.
"My approach is what I call 'from strategy to tactics'," he explains. "It is not just about thinking, but about doing. Actually building capabilities, services, and products."
His focus areas include unmanned systems, sensor-to-shooter chains, data-driven operations, and public-private collaboration. "My role is often that of a connector and accelerator: making sure government, industry, and technology find each other and arrive at concrete solutions, with real momentum in decision-making."
From experimentation to operationalisation
The drone sector is changing fast, and Joost sees a clear shift in how security organisations are approaching the technology.
"What you see is a move from experimenting to operationalising. Drones are no longer an innovation project. They are becoming an essential part of operational deployment, business operations, and intelligence gathering."
Conflicts like the one in Ukraine have sharpened that awareness considerably, he says. "They make it painfully clear that speed, scale, mass, and technology working together are decisive. Drones play a key role in that."
But technology on its own is not enough. "The real insight is that technology only works when it is integrated, not just technically, but also organisationally and doctrinally, and compatible with other systems and platforms. Organisations that get that right have a strategic advantage."
Why AirHub and Gardener Consultancy are a natural fit
The partnership between AirHub and Gardener Consultancy grew out of a shared understanding of where the market is heading.
"AirHub has built a platform that directly addresses the need to integrate control, compliance, and scalability of drone operations into daily practice," Joost says. "And it also serves as a planning tool for future operations, which is often overlooked."
What makes the collaboration work, according to Joost, is the complementarity between the two parties. "AirHub brings a strong technological foundation. I bring the context of defence, security, and decision-making. Together we make sure technology is not just functional, but actually applied where it matters."
The biggest opportunities: Europe and strategic autonomy
Looking at the market, Joost sees significant potential for AirHub both in the Netherlands and internationally.
"Within the Netherlands, there are opportunities to further professionalise drone deployment within defence and security services. Internationally, and initially within Europe, I see the same possibilities, but with an additional dimension: strategic autonomy."
Organisations are increasingly looking for European solutions that are reliable, secure, and interoperable. "That is where AirHub can position itself strongly."
His broader vision goes further. "The real growth lies in developing AirHub as part of a wider drone ecosystem in which data, sensors, and command and control come together. Not as a standalone application, but as a valuable platform within an operational system."
Bridging the gap between public and private
One of the recurring challenges in the security sector is the collaboration between public authorities and private technology companies. Joost knows the terrain well.
"Public-private collaboration is essential, but in practice it is often complex, slow, and bureaucratic. The public sector operates from compliance and risk management, while the private sector brings speed, innovation, and decisiveness. Those two worlds need to find each other, and that does not happen automatically."
A significant part of his work involves bridging that gap, which is sometimes referred to as the Valley of Death. "Making sure collaboration becomes concrete, with clear goals, governance, and mutual understanding. Only then can you bring technology to operations much faster and more effectively. And ultimately, that is what it is all about."
Software as the critical layer
When it comes to why drone software specifically is so relevant to the challenges security organisations face today, Joost is direct.
"The real value of the AirHub platform is not in the flying itself. It is in the ability to plan, direct, and understand operations, in real time and at scale."
Software, he argues, is the critical layer that brings planning, execution, monitoring, and analysis together in one integrated environment. "That creates overview and control over operations that are becoming increasingly complex."
Scalability is another key factor. "Defence and security organisations are no longer working with a single drone. They are working with multiple systems simultaneously, often in dynamic and high-risk environments around the world. Without robust software, that becomes uncontrollable."
"The strength lies in bringing planning, execution, data processing, and management together in one system. Then drone deployment is no longer a standalone activity, but an integral part of operational conduct."
Want to see how AirHub supports operational drone deployments for defence and security organisations? Book a demo with one of our experts.
