Announced during South Africa’s Drones and Unmanned Aviation Conference 24-25 June 2021, the launch of Flying Lab South Africa aims to accelerate development of a regulatory framework and expand drone use.
According to a press release, Flying Lab South Africa is a local robotics innovation hub with a global model, implementing social projects with sustainable impact commonly known as drone for good. South Africa Flying Lab builds local expertise in drones, robotics, data, and 4IR knowledge and skills through training, workshops, and field projects. Their aim is to promote digital revolution, through enhancing local expertise in drones, robotics, data and IR following best practises from Global Flying Labs Network with a specific focus on local schools, start-ups, and youth, which they plan to engage with STEM education. With this opportunity, Flying Lab SA will be able to tap into global network provided by other Flying Labs and be afforded an opportunity to collaborate, share resources, support and insights, including donor funding.
South Africa Flying Lab will also create entrepreneurial opportunities for small businesses ,start-ups and youth through projects and strategic partnerships with companies and organizations that invest in drones for social good projects to build use cases. They will promote and facilitate social dialogue with relevant stakeholders such as NGOs, government and private sector actors, and universities to adopt drones, robotics, and IR.
“The digital revolution is not coming, it is here. Drones are not coming, they are here. The Drone Council is so excited to see our members starting to break the entry-barriers and we wish to congratulate QP Drones and its CEO and Co-Founder(Ms Queen Ndlovu)and its Consortium partners Vula Air Technologies and Ntiyiso Consulting on launching South Africa Flying Lab. They are positioning our country for high global competitiveness in the drone economy. We will fully support such high achievers. It is the perfect timing.” says Mr Irvin Phenyane Chairperson of the Drone Council SA.
According to a report published by IT Web, South Africa Flying Lab is led by three key aviation industry partners: QP Drone Tech,Tinghwazi Consulting and Vula Air Technologies. Its list of stakeholders includes the Drone Council of South Africa, the Tshimologong Makers Place and the University of the Witwatersrand’s Enterprise faculty.
They will assist the organisation with the key objective of addressing SA’s sluggish response to developing modern drone regulations, while helping to empower various industries through the implementation of several initiatives to help support local ecosystems, create new job opportunities and businesses that offer robotics-as-a-service.
(Image: IT Web)
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