Drones

DJI layoffs in Palo Alto, workplace stays open

DJI layoffs in the Palo Alto office “reflect the company’s evolving needs,” a company statement said.

“We made the difficult decision to reduce the workforce in our Palo Alto office to meet the changing needs of the company. We thank all affected employees for their contributions and remain committed to our customers and partners in the US market and around the world as we continue to develop the most advanced drone technology in the industry, ”the statement said.

The Palo Alto office is primarily a research and development office with customer support in Los Angeles, CA. DJI also has an office in New York. The company employs more than 14,000 people worldwide and maintains a large research and development team at its main offices in Shenzhen, China.

The DJI layoffs are the most recent change in the company’s U.S. presence. Earlier this year, some high-profile DJI executives based in the US took advantage of other opportunities, including Vice President of North America Mario Rebello and Public Safety Specialist Romeo Durscher. The changes could simply be a restructuring due to corporate maturity or the impact of the pandemic, or they could be due to continued pressure from the U.S. government for government agencies to move away from China-made technology. The ongoing arguments over the use of overseas-made drone platforms have created confusion in the market, even for customers who do not receive government funding, and the U.S. government has provided support for domestic drone platforms.

DJI continues to have a global presence in the drone industry and retains its dominant market share by a significant percentage.

Miriam McNabb is editor-in-chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a marketplace for professional drone services, and a fascinating observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has written over 3,000 articles focusing on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam graduated from the University of Chicago and has over 20 years experience in high-tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
For advice or writing on the drone industry, email Miriam.

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