one-north has been designated as Singapore's first drone estate to facilitate the trial of innovative UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technologies and commercial use-cases in a controlled urban environment.
Under the drone estate initiative, approved operators and research users can carry out their trials and operations in the area without compromising safety and security.
The project is a joint initiative between the Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and JTC, according a press statement issued on Feb 7, 2018.
Master-planned and developed by JTC, one-north is a 200ha business park that offers an ideal location to test varying urban environment complexities for UAS operations. It is also a fertile ground for research and innovation, where a vibrant community of start-ups, technology owners and research institutions test-bed their latest urban solutions.
For a start, CAAS will be working with companies which intend to conduct trials and other development activities in the drone estate for a variety of potential use cases. The companies and use-cases are listed in the accompanying fact sheet.
Loh Ngai Seng, Permanent Secretary (Transport) and Chairman of the national inter-agency UAS Committee, noted that there is “much potential" for UAS operations to transform mobility and logistics in urban cities. "We want to encourage the development of beneficial uses of UAS in Singapore, while maintaining safety and security. We hope the one-north drone estate will support and facilitate commercial companies to trial innovative UAS uses.”
“The UAS sector has much potential, but this always needs to be balanced against the need to ensure public safety. With the drone estate, we will be able to work hand in hand with companies to develop the rules and regulations to ensure the safe use of drones in Singapore,” said Kevin Shum, CAAS Director-General.
“This project is consistent with our current approach to use our business and industrial parks as living labs to catalyse the development of new urban solutions. They serve to inform how we can better design future precincts in Singapore to incorporate new technologies, and accelerate their adoption,” added Ng Lang, CEO of JTC.
