The Republic of Korea’s Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) has released a roadmap that contains a strategy to innovate five major mobility sectors based on AI. One of these sectors is drone operations.
According to the roadmap, MOLIT will support the development of core uncrewed aerial system components and technologies, such as complete drones, motors and video transmission and reception devices in five fields, including firefighting, aviation and agriculture from 2026. To further integrate drones into everyday life, MOLIT said it will “significantly expand drone airspace” including special drone free zones and drone parks by 2027.
MOLIT also pledges to increase efforts for the commercialisation of urban air mobility (UAM) centered on public services in 2028 and fully support the introduction of private-sector-led services in 2030. “We will establish safety systems, including aircraft certification and cybersecurity, by 2027, and establish public infrastructure, including vertiports and communication networks, by 2028,” the ministry said. “To develop core UAM technologies, we will support the development of basic, growth and future technologies, and promote phased commercialisation, progressing from verification to initial commercialisation to full-scale commercialisation.”
MOLIT already has several initiatives underway as part of its K-UAM programme, but says delays in the commercialisation of technologies has led to criticisms that the government was not responding adequately to rapidly developing AI technology.
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