BGF Retail Signs MOU with Narma... "Cooperation in Drone Emergency Relief Activities"

On the 18th, Yang Jae-seok, Head of Business Planning at BGF Retail (right), and Kwon Ki-jung, CEO of Narma (left), are taking a commemorative photo at the business agreement ceremony at the BGF building in Gangnam-gu, Seoul.

[Asia Economy Reporter Lim Chun-han] BGF Retail announced on the 19th that it has signed a business agreement with Narma, the first research institute company of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, to collaborate on disaster prevention and relief activities using drones.

Based on this business agreement, the two companies plan to continue cooperation in ▲carrying out social contribution activities for public interest using drones ▲providing offline CU stores for drone technology development and demonstration ▲creating a convergence ecosystem based on the drone industry.

Narma developed the world's first drone equipped with electric dual tilt-rotor technology. The dual tilt-rotor drone combines the features of an airplane and a helicopter, allowing the wings to tilt vertically and horizontally during flight, enabling vertical takeoff and landing as well as high-speed flight, making it suitable for transporting goods. In fact, this drone can travel 40 km, three times farther than ordinary drones, even while carrying items weighing around 5 kg. Last year, it completed over 500 flight tests in locations such as Yeouido, Seoul, and Tongyeong, Gyeongnam, verifying the stability of the aircraft for commercialization.

BGF Retail plans to utilize this drone for BGF Bridge. BGF Bridge is a national disaster emergency relief activity established by BGF Retail, the Ministry of the Interior and Safety, and the National Disaster Relief Association. Through a 24-hour hotline, it supports emergency relief supplies using CU’s nationwide offline infrastructure in the event of disasters such as wildfires, heavy rain, and heavy snow.

A BGF Retail official said, “This business agreement is the first step in public interest retail tech that strengthens the social function of convenience stores by integrating promising new technologies,” adding, “We will continue to actively carry out activities that contribute to social development.”