By Yoon Sung-won
The government pledged Tuesday to invest 1.2 trillion won ($1.06 billion) in the drone industry over the next five years to make Korea one of the world’s top five players.
The Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport said it is aiming to make the domestic drone market reach 4.1 trillion won in value by 2027, up from 70.4 billion won now. It also wants industry leaders to focus more on industrial drones for observation, construction, agriculture, energy and telecommunications, to introduce 60,000 of these unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) in a decade.
The ministry will announce its 10-year plan to nurture the industry at a public hearing at the Korea Chamber of Commerce and Industry office in Seoul, today.
“The government has established a long-term plan to support the drone industry,” a ministry official said. “We will fix our basic plan through public hearings and discussions with related authorities and the aviation policy committee.”
As an essential part of the Fourth Industrial Revolution, the global UAV industry is growing by 50 percent per year and is expected to reach $62 billion by 2025, according to the ministry.
The United States, China, Japan and the European Union are already expediting drives to preempt the global drone market.
Besides the financial investment, the government will also build what it calls a “drone highway” where UAVs can fly at high speeds along preset routes at heights under 300 meters.
The government is planning drone flight hubs that will ensure that they don’t fly above roads or railways. They will also be programmed to stay away from highly-populated areas and military zones.
To this end, the ministry will research a UAV traffic management system through 2021. To realize its goal, the government would have to tap into highly sophisticated technologies such as artificial intelligence for auto piloting, big data for drone registration management and the internet of things for inter-drone communication.
To better manage drones, the ministry will introduce rules for UAV registration, licensing and insurance programs. It plans to require the registration of drones that are heavier than 250 grams. Users of recreational drones will still be able to fly them with minimal regulations.
For advanced UAV development and pilot skill training, the government will establish a test field in Goheung, South Jeolla Province, by 2020.
To boost demand, the ministry will encourage public organizations to spend 300 billion won to buy about 3,000 drones for diverse purposes such as construction and river maintenance over the next five years.
The ministry added that it expects such plans to help underpin the economy by creating about 164,000 jobs leading to 20.7 trillion won in new production.