Ulsan Ulju-gun, Second Phase of Drone Special Free Zone Initiated

Promotion of 16 Projects in 4 Major Fields

On the 1st, Ulju-gun, Ulsan City held the 2nd kickoff briefing for the Drone Special Free Zone at the 3D Printing Venture Cluster Knowledge Industry Center of the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency.

Ulju County Office.

The Drone Special Free Zone is designated and operated by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport to promote drone utilization demonstrations within urban areas that have faced difficulties due to regulations.

In November 2022, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport conducted a second round of special zone designation competitions targeting local governments nationwide, and in June of this year, a total of 23 local governments, including Ulju-gun, were finally selected. Ulju-gun was consecutively selected for the second round following the first drone special zone designation in 2021.

Following the second designation of the drone special zone, the county decided to promote substantial demonstration projects through an expanded zone and focused selection, and the dedicated institution, Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency, along with 12 participating organizations, finalized the operation plan for ‘Ulju Drone Special Free Zone 2nd Phase.’

The main objectives of the drone special zone promotion are drone demonstration commercialization to solve urban problems and provide convenience to residents in Ulju-gun, and the realization of Ulju as a drone standard city.

The participating organizations include ▲Ulsan National Institute of Science and Technology ▲SK Telecom ▲Narma ▲Gaion ▲Mujigae Research Institute ▲Aero Research ▲Skysis ▲Ulsan Unmanned Aviation Education Center ▲AMP ▲Prenew ▲Vololand ▲Clover Studio, with the Ulsan Information Industry Promotion Agency overseeing operation and management.

The demonstrations will be conducted across 16 projects in 4 sectors. The detailed fields include ▲Urban Air Mobility (PAV development and demonstration, integrated control system advancement, long-distance goods delivery) ▲Safe City (road damage monitoring, urban landscape recording, wildfire safety surveillance) ▲Smart Farming (drone pilot qualification training, open-field smart farms) ▲Smart Services (mountain rescue, urban management, crop diagnosis, crime prevention), among others.

Starting with this kickoff briefing, Ulju-gun plans to undertake demonstrations in various fields such as logistics delivery, tourism, safety, and administration that residents can directly experience, aiming to elevate its status as a leading drone city in South Korea.

Lee Soon-geol, the head of Ulju-gun, stated, “We will become Ulju, a drone standard city leading the future of South Korea based on scientific administration and advanced industries utilizing drones.”