[Asia Economy Reporter Minyoung Kim] The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport announced on the 14th that it will hold the '2022 Korea Drone·UAM Expo' for two days starting from the 15th at the Gocheok Sky Dome baseball stadium in Seoul under the theme of 'A Dynamic Future Opened with Drones and UAM.'
The opening ceremony will take place at 3 p.m. on the 15th at the Gocheok Sky Dome in Seoul, attended by Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Won Heeryong, Chairman Ha Heon-gu of the Future Mobility Innovation Committee, representatives of drone and UAM companies, and heads of public institutions.
Held for the third time this year, the expo will feature the UAM Team Korea Strategic Forum, the opening ceremony, drone leisure and sports competitions, an exhibition with participation from private drone and UAM companies, and an experience center where visitors can operate drones themselves.
Drones are expanding their applications beyond video shooting to delivery, facility inspection, and leisure and sports fields. This expo is expected to provide a comprehensive view of the diverse uses and new technology trends of drones.
To prepare for the commercialization phase of UAM, the Ministry will hold the 'UAM Team Korea Strategic Forum' to discuss government policy directions and private sector business plans regarding UAM. Urban Air Mobility (UAM) is a transportation system using personal vertical take-off and landing vehicles (eVTOL), commonly called 'flying taxis' or 'air taxis.' The government’s target for UAM commercialization is set for 2025.
Minister Won Heeryong will personally announce the initial commercialization promotion direction for UAM and discuss early commercialization plans led by Team Korea institutions and the private sector.
The UAM policy direction focuses on promoting commercialization by 2025, including △enactment of the UAM Act, △promotion of commercialization demonstration projects, △promotion of commercialization pilot projects, and △plans for core technology research and development.
Themed exhibition halls showcasing drones for various purposes such as delivery and logistics, safety inspection, and surveillance and reconnaissance will also be operated.
The ‘Drone·UAM Infrastructure Hall’ will display national infrastructure for checking and certifying drone and UAM flight performance, while the ‘Drone Small and Medium Enterprise Hall’ and ‘UAM Company Hall’ at the forefront of the drone industry will showcase various drone and UAM technologies developed by private companies, government, and research institutions.
The Defense Unmanned Systems Promotion Hall, featuring the Army, Navy, and Air Force, will present over 40 types of drones and robots operating on land, sea, and air.
This year, drone sports competitions such as the ‘FAI Korea Drone Race International World Cup (2022 KOREA DRONE RACE WORLDCUP)’ and the ‘Minister of Land, Infrastructure and Transport Cup Drone Soccer Championship’ will also be held.
About 70 players from nine countries including Korea, the United States, Japan, Singapore, Taiwan, Malaysia, Thailand, Bulgaria, and France will participate in this drone race competition.
Various events and programs will be conducted, including aviation job counseling and employment support programs for young people, the International Future Aviation Certification Conference, drone piloting experiences using drone simulators, and prize draws.
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