Regular On-site Meetings Institutionalized
Accelerating the Shift Toward a Private Sector-Led Industrial Ecosystem
The Korea Aerospace Administration has begun directly listening to challenges faced by companies in the drone industry and is working to improve regulations, certifications, and R&D investment. By institutionalizing on-site 'Aerospace SOS Meetings,' the agency aims to accelerate the transition to a private sector-led industrial ecosystem.
On February 27, the Korea Aerospace Administration held an 'Aerospace SOS (aeroSpace On-site Solution) Meeting' focused on the drone industry at Narma, a drone SME based in Daejeon. This event marks the first in a series of relay communications visiting aerospace industry sites across the country.
'2025 Drone and Urban Air Mobility Expo' site. Reference photo to aid article understanding. Photo by Dongju Yoon
The 'Aerospace SOS Meeting' is an on-site communication program designed to provide immediate responses (SOS) to corporate difficulties and find solutions (Solution) directly on location (On-site). The initiative focuses on identifying and addressing corporate challenges related to key policy agendas, such as next-generation launch vehicle projects, low-orbit satellite communication network construction, lunar exploration, drones, and international joint development of civil aircraft. The Korea Aerospace Administration plans to visit corporate sites nationwide about twice a month this year to continue these meetings.
At the meeting, Changheon Han, Director of the Aviation Innovation Division, presented policy directions to strengthen the competitiveness of the drone industry, including: ▲ enhanced development of drones for public missions and ▲ advancement of AI-based autonomous flight technologies. He also stated the agency's intention to reflect on-site feedback by concretizing new project plans.
During the subsequent discussion, specific issues in the industry were raised, including regulatory and certification procedures, the burden of technology development costs, and difficulties in overseas expansion. Participating companies requested not only simple suggestions but also the identification of actionable improvement tasks and their incorporation into policy.
O Taeseok, Administrator of the Korea Aerospace Administration, stated, "Drones, when integrated with satellite communications, precision navigation, and AI autonomous flight technologies, are rapidly becoming a key pillar of the future aerospace industry," adding, "We will ensure that voices from the field are reflected in substantial policy changes."
The Korea Aerospace Administration plans to share the issues identified during the meeting with relevant ministries and industry stakeholders and incorporate them into future policy design and new project planning.
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