Oslobygg selects KTV Group for drone-based cleaning

Oslobygg takes a historic step towards safer building maintenance

23/10/2026

Oslobygg KF has entered into a four-year framework agreement for facade and window cleaning with a maximum value of NOK 15 million. The agreement covers 21 healthcare and care facilities in Oslo, and KTV Group AS has been selected as the supplier. (dronemag.no)

For KTV, this is far more than just another contract.

It is a clear indication of how new technology can now transform one of the highest-risk areas of traditional building maintenance: working at height.

Cleaning and maintaining facades, roofs and windows has traditionally relied on lifts, scaffolding, building maintenance units (BMUs) and rope access personnel. At the same time, working at height remains one of the leading causes of serious occupational accidents and fatalities internationally. The International Labour Organization (ILO) identifies falls from height as a major cause of serious injuries and fatalities and recommends avoiding work at height wherever reasonably practicable. (ilo.org)

This is precisely where drone and robotic technology represents a major shift. KTV Working Drone has been developing technology for drone-based cleaning since 2015. The technology is now present in 67 countries worldwide, and internationally, several thousand drones are already being used for building cleaning.

The technological shift is happening rapidly.

What was considered a niche solution just a few years ago is now becoming a genuine alternative to traditional methods such as lifts, scaffolding, BMUs and rope access on an increasing number of buildings.

KTV estimates that, on suitable buildings, the technology can reduce the need for traditional work at height by up to 80 percent.

Health and safety were important factors in Oslobygg’s evaluation.

Oslobygg began testing drone cleaning in 2024. During 2025–2026, the technology was tested on several buildings. Among the benefits highlighted by Oslobygg were reduced use of lifts, improved health and safety, good accessibility, efficient execution and better documentation. (dronemag.no)

This is important. New technology must not simply be technically interesting. It must solve real problems more effectively than traditional methods.

For Oslobygg, this includes reducing the need for people to work in exposed positions at height while maintaining quality, efficient execution and proper documentation.

Oslobygg deserves recognition for leading the way.

Public sector organisations are often among the last to adopt new technology. Not necessarily because they lack the willingness to innovate, but because regulations, procurement processes, directives and established working methods can make it difficult to introduce new approaches.

That is why it is particularly encouraging when a public organisation actively uses the opportunities available to prioritise health and safety, sustainability and new technology.

Oslobygg deserves recognition for doing exactly that. Rather than focusing solely on price and traditional methods, the organisation has been willing to test new solutions, evaluate their effectiveness and embrace technology that can reduce work at height, improve health and safety and deliver services at a competitive cost.

This is how the public sector can help drive development forward.

When a major public property manager such as Oslobygg takes the lead, it also provides confidence to other municipalities, public agencies and major property owners considering the same technology.

Oslobygg demonstrates that the public sector does not have to be an obstacle to technological innovation. On the contrary, it can lead the way and establish a new standard for combining health and safety, sustainability and technology in everyday operations.

From ropes, lifts and BMUs to sensor-controlled and autonomous technology.

In our assessment, the era when people routinely need to work suspended from ropes, lifts or BMUs to clean facades and windows is approaching its end.

The technology capable of transferring much of this work to ground-based operations already exists.

KTV Working Drone technology combines the drone platform with sensor-based control and autonomous functions. This contributes to better control of the distance between the drone and the building, more stable flight, more consistent operating patterns and more uniform quality.

Autonomous flight and sensor technology also provide an additional level of safety by allowing flight operations to be controlled more precisely and consistently than through traditional manual operation alone.

In our assessment, the era when people routinely need to work suspended from ropes, lifts or BMUs to clean facades and windows is approaching its end. The technology already exists, and development is now progressing extremely rapidly.

Cleaning and inspection at the same time.

An important advantage of the technology is that the drone can do more than just clean.

While facades, roofs and windows are being cleaned, the drone can also be used to inspect and document the condition of the building.

This can help identify:

Facade damage
Cracks and wear
Leaks
Moisture problems
Roof damage
Loose or damaged building components
Areas requiring further investigation

As a result, customers receive not only cleaning services but also better documentation and a more up-to-date overview of the building’s technical condition.

This can make it easier to plan maintenance at an earlier stage and reduce the risk of minor defects developing into larger and more expensive problems.

Competitive with traditional methods.

Another important consideration is cost.

Drone-based cleaning should not be an expensive technological alternative. The objective is to deliver services at a price level that is competitive with traditional methods while providing additional benefits in health and safety, sustainability, accessibility, inspection and documentation.

In Oslobygg’s procurement process, price accounted for 40 percent of the evaluation, while execution capability and organisation accounted for 30 percent and environmental considerations for 30 percent. (dronemag.no)

This demonstrates that new technology must also be commercially viable if it is to be adopted on a large scale.

Norway is at the forefront.

Norway is at the forefront of testing and adopting new technology to improve health and safety, sustainability and efficiency.

Oslobygg manages approximately 1,800 municipal buildings in Oslo, including schools, kindergartens, nursing homes, cultural facilities, sports facilities and fire stations.

The experience gained from this agreement may therefore have an impact far beyond the 21 buildings directly covered by the framework agreement. (dronemag.no)

It provides other municipalities, public property managers and major private organisations with a concrete example of how the technology can be tested, documented and implemented professionally.

An important signal to the rest of the world.

The challenge is the same internationally.

Buildings need to be cleaned and maintained. Windows need washing. Facades and roofs need inspection.

The question is not whether the work needs to be done.

The question is how much of this work should continue to be carried out by people working at height when technology can take over an increasing proportion of these tasks.

Authorities and organisations in many countries are already considering how work at height can be reduced and replaced by safer working methods wherever possible.

The ILO’s principle is clear: work at height should be avoided wherever reasonably practicable, and working from the ground should be prioritised whenever possible. (ilo.org)

Oslobygg and Norway may therefore become an important example for other public property managers and authorities considering the same transition.

For KTV Working Drone, the direction is clear.

The objective is not simply to make traditional cleaning slightly more efficient.

The objective is to change the way exterior building maintenance is carried out.