South Korean Government Working to Become a Top 3 Country in Drone Technology

South Korean Government has set its goal to become a top 3 country in unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) business.

It has decided to increase number of UAV-related businesses from 70 in 2015 to 650 in 2025. It is also planning to increase number of employments from 2,000 to 45,000 and number of industrial sales from $485 million (600 billion KRW) to $12.1 billion (15 trillion KRW) and secure 10% of market shares in global markets by 2025. By planning co-business, it is going to establish and operate converged system for UAV.

Ministry of Science, ICP and Future Planning (MSIP) had held Industry, University, and Research Institution Cooperative Policy Forum with a topic of ‘Development of Industries and Services for Future Society and New UAV Markets’ at Korea Aerospace Research Institute (KARI) on the 24th. MSIP introduced policies on UAV to Ministry of Trade, Industry & Energy (MOTIE) and Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Maritime Affairs that are also pushing for UAV business with MSIP.

Major information includes introduction of UAV policies in future driving force area, converged development plan on linkage between UAV and future driving force (KARI), plan on linkage between UAV and ICT, energy and material, and AI, comprehensive debate and discussion by departments’ representatives on UAV converged cluster, and etc.

MSIP is going to promote development of original technologies of next UAV and is going to lead in creating new markets. MOTIE along with Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Maritime Affairs and others are going to invest $31.9 million (39.5 billion KRW) by 2019 in expanding ‘National Comprehensive Flight Performance Test Site’ in regards to creating bases for UAV.

‘High-Speed Vertical Takeoff and Landing UAV Task Force’, which will prepare future driving forces for UAV business, is also planning to expand itself as ‘UAV Global Leader Task Force’ that will comprehensively push for development business of national UAVs. This task force is going to create UAV convergence cluster to promote usages in industries and public areas and is also going to establish network and develop converged research topic regarding UAV for industries and public uses by September of 2017. Total of 64 organizations and 109 experts are going to participate in this project.

“Currently we are about 3 to 5 years behind from the U.S., which is the number 1 country in technologies in developing UAVs in South Korea.” said KARI. “We will be able to become a top 3 country in UAV technologies if we continue to narrow the gap in technological difference by 1 to 3 years.”

There are tasks that have to be solved first in order to vitalize UAV business and they are: stability of vehicle, stability of operation, breakdown of classification of UAVs, allocation of frequency just for UAVs, approval of flight and mitigation of regulations, education on operation and system for licenses, introduction of insurance for UAVs, clarification of related government organizations’ responsibilities, elimination of redundancy of technology development, active creation of demands per places where UAVs are used and etc. Out of these tasks, regulations are still acting as obstacles for investments.

“Establishment of plans on 3D (per altitude and location) frequency operation within national airspace, flight plans and establishment of system that will approve UAVs that are linked with frequency that is used and establishment of system that will quickly process approval of UAVs in low-altitude airspaces are needed.” Said Director Choo Jin-ho of KARI’s Aerospace Research Headquarters.

UAV market is starting to change from an oligopoly for advanced countries to competitive structure. KARI is predicting that UAV market will change from an oligopoly system owned by the U.S. (54%) and Europe (15%) in 2014 to weakened dominance by the U.S. (42%) and emergence of Asia-Pacific markets (30%) in 2023. This indicates that countries that are starting to develop UAV technologies will be able to enter UAV markets. China is already growing rapidly as it is developing small UAVs for civilian demands and is expanding investments with its domestic markets as its bases. Its market size had risen to 3rd place globally in 2013.

“To secure competitiveness of South Korean technologies in the future, manufacturing and design of major parts of small drones and development of major technologies such as collision sensor and evasion of collision and others are required.” Said Director Choo Jin-ho. “UAV will become a personalized Smart automated vehicle in the future.”

Staff Reporter Song, Hyeyoung | [email protected]