BRUSSELS (BELGIUM), 12 JULY 2022 – The Global UTM Association (GUTMA) engaged policymakers and key industry stakeholders from five key markets in the Asia – Pacific at the APAC UTM Summit on 12 July 2022 to discuss the trade-off between global harmonization and a variety of local requirements and prospects for the drone industry in the region.
Part of the Harmonized Skies 2022 series, the summit has taken place at a unique time when UTM systems are being developed –including in the APAC region– due to the potential development of innovative drone applications. The Global UTM Association created even greater momentum by putting the APAC evolution in a wider international context and stressing the potential contribution of APAC to a globally harmonised UTM framework.
The event “How can we transport more passengers, cargo, and data by drone?” opened a dialogue and built insightful points on the evolution of the UTM industry and policy landscape in Japan, Australia, the Republic of Korea, Singapore, and India. The summit hosted the diversified regulatory frameworks in the APAC region concerning UTM and drone technologies, focusing on answers provided at a regional and global level and how harmonisation can be achieved.
The APAC UTM Summit took place alongside representatives of government ministries of the region, such as the Indian Joint Secretary Ministry of Civil Aviation and the Civil Aviation Safety Authority of the Australian government, as well as GUTMA members, including NEC Corporation, Airservices Australia, Aerial Innovation, Wing, Heron Tech, Swiss FOCA and ANRA Technologies, industry leaders and academia.
“The APAC drone landscape is evolving fast. We aim to contribute to this momentum, GUTMA’s conference puts the APAC evolution in the wider international context, serving as a platform to develop synergies and build stronger networks”, stated Koen De Vos, GUTMA Secretary-General and former senior drone policy expert at the European Commission.
GUTMA actively pursues a harmonised global UTM and drone services market for a thriving drone services ecosystem. All states are aware of the global nature of UTM and drone technologies and the importance of providing harmonised responses. The APAC UTM Summit has been a step forward in creating synergies and establishing a globally harmonised UTM framework.