Master Thesis | Location Intelligence & Economic Analysis in Drone Delivery Operations

About Us

At Newton Dynamics, we are building the infrastructure for a new era of last-mile delivery. Consumer appetites for on-demand services are growing fast, but today's delivery methods are inefficient, costly, and contribute to road congestion, accidents and unnecessary emissions. We think there is a better way. We develop and operate our own fleet of energy-efficient, quiet and safe delivery drones to bring time-sensitive goods directly to people in minutes, with a fraction of the environmental footprint of traditional logistics. We design, build and operate our aircraft from the ground up, giving us full control over safety, performance and scalability.

• Review existing academic literature on drone delivery feasibility and location selection methodologies
• Develop a quantitative framework to evaluate the economic viability of drone delivery in potential target markets
• Use geospatial analysis techniques such as GIS-based mapping to identify and rank candidate locations based on population density, infrastructure and demand potential
• Build cost-benefit and profitability models covering fleet costs, energy consumption, regulatory constraints and delivery demand
• Present your results in a well-structured thesis and a concise management summary

• Currently enrolled in a Master's programme in Business Administration, Economics, Geography, Logistics, Industrial Engineering or a related field
• Strong analytical skills and comfortable working with larger datasets
• Some experience with GIS tools like QGIS or ArcGIS, or a genuine motivation to learn them during the project
• Proficiency in Python or R is a plus, but not a hard requirement
• An interest in drones, UAVs or last-mile logistics
• A self-driven working style
• Fluent in English; German is a plus

Why It Matters

Last-mile delivery is one of the most expensive and resource-intensive parts of modern logistics, and it is a problem that is growing as consumer expectations for faster delivery continue to rise. Drone delivery is one of the more promising answers to that challenge, but making it work in practice requires a much more detailled understanding of where it actually makes economic sense.

What We Offer

• A real strategic challenge with direct relevance to how we make decisions as a company
• Regular sparring sessions with our business development team and honest feedback on your work
• Access to internal operational insights to support your research
• A front-row seat at a fast-moving drone robotics startup at an early and exciting stage

Please note that this is an unpaid opportunity and not an internship. We are providing the thesis topic, offering bi-weekly check-ins, structured support throughout the writing process, and a genuine insight into how an early-stage drone delivery company thinks and operates. The thesis can be completed fully remotely, with the option to occasionally visit our office in Augsburg if you would like to connect in person.