‘Drone Show Korea 2023’ hosted by Busan Metropolitan City, Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, Ministry of Science and ICT, Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, and Ministry of National Defense, and hosted by BEXCO and Korea Unmanned Aerial System Association, started on February 2023 (Thursday). It was held at BEXCO in Busan until the 2th (Sat).
At the ‘Drone Show Korea’, which celebrated its 7th anniversary this year, with the theme of ‘Everything about drones, our future to be faced with drones’, paying attention to the scalability of the drone industry, we introduced cases of convergence between industries that will be realized with drones and introduced the latest technologies. Various drone models that will be applied to this future daily life were introduced.
This exhibition, which was the largest ever held with 172 companies, 625 booths, and an area of 17,600㎡, continued last year, with more prominent participation from organizations/companies leading major drone issues such as UAM/AAM, spatial information, AI, hydrogen, and marine. , ‘Drone Infrastructure and Utilization Hall’, ‘Spatial Information Convergence Alliance Joint Hall’, ‘Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy DaaS (Drone as a Service)-based Global Ocean City Construction Hall’, and ‘Ministry of Science and ICT Original Technology R&D Hall’. We introduced research results on drone services and technology and examples of points of contact with daily life.
In addition, during the exhibition, a session of ‘K-Drone’s Global Stage’ was planned to promote the global market development of Korean companies. Starting with the announcement of ‘Establishment of an Effective K-Drone Overseas Expansion Strategies’ by the KOTRA Defense Trade Support Center, Drone Industry Insight provides a comprehensive understanding of the global drone market and opportunities for Korean companies to enter the African continent, targeting Bangladesh. , Bangladesh Environmental Geographic Information Service Center, and officials from the African Development Bank, etc. were invited to present various perspectives. In the ‘Young Pioneers’ session, young leaders who are quietly pioneering domestic and foreign markets for the development of the drone industry in Korea were introduced, and an opportunity was provided to think about the direction we should move based on their experiences.
Accordingly, as a follow-up to ‘Drone Show Korea’, global media channel AVING News held an in-depth look at each company’s overseas expansion strategy and performance. As the first company, we conducted a non-face-to-face interview with Accesswi, which introduced its self-developed vertical takeoff and landing type surveillance and reconnaissance unmanned aerial vehicle at this exhibition.
Q. AVING News: You participated in the 2023 Drone Show Korea with a large booth. What achievements did you achieve at this exhibition?
A Access Swi: Through this Drone Show Korea, we introduced various types of vertical takeoff and landing drones designed and manufactured directly at our own production facility, which is our strength, both domestically and internationally. In addition, in collaboration with leading domestic and foreign companies, we exhibited and introduced cameras, sensors, and drone identification devices for unmanned aerial vehicles sold exclusively in Korea. Above all, it seems to have served as an opportunity to publicize its technological prowess as a small, but strong comprehensive drone manufacturer and its status as a drone equipment distributor.
Q. AVING News: In 2021, a ‘helicopter-unmanned aerial vehicle interlocking system business contract’ worth 26 billion won was signed with Korea Aerospace Industries (KAI), and the development and modification of a vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle system for surveillance and reconnaissance is in progress by 2025. Know. What have been achieved so far and what additional contracts are in place in the future?
A Access Service: The helicopter-unmanned aerial vehicle interlocking system project underway with Korea Aerospace Industries is the first manned and unmanned interlocking system project (MUM-T) implemented in Korea, and is currently undergoing internal flight testing with the goal of delivering the unmanned aerial vehicle system in April of this year. Currently, major performance requirements such as maximum speed and flight time have been met.
In addition, the vertical take-off and landing unmanned aerial vehicle modification and development project, which is underway after signing an agreement with the Defense Technology Advancement Research Institute in 2022, is scheduled to undergo a basic design review in April. The manufacturing process, including design and aerodynamic analysis, is also progressing normally.
In addition, in the case of the coastal reconnaissance drone project, which can be considered the company’s flagship product, it passed the proposal evaluation by the Defense Acquisition Program Administration and was selected as one of the test models, and is preparing for test evaluation with the goal of signing a contract in the second half of this year.
Q. AVING News: Access Service is participating in projects led by government agencies, including the military, and is using it as a driving force for corporate growth. This would have been impossible without sufficient capabilities. What is Accesswi’s differentiated technology that made this possible?
A Access Swi: Our company has specialized capabilities and technology in the design and production of ‘vertical takeoff and landing drones’.
In the case of vertical takeoff and landing unmanned aerial vehicles, flight balance is important when taking off and landing vertically or landing vertically after horizontal flight (during the transition process), and thanks to Accesswi’s flight control technology, safe and stable flight performance has been achieved. In particular, the aircraft skin, designed and manufactured in-house, is lighter and stronger than other unmanned aerial vehicles, providing optimal stability and flight performance.
Q. AVING News: Developers of next-generation mobility, including UAM, and drone delivery platforms are targeting the US and European markets, which are the most advanced in related regulations. Accesswi is targeting Southeast Asia, the Middle East, and South America. Is there a reason for selecting these markets? Also, if you have any plans to expand into other countries in the future, please explain.
A Access Swi: Access Swi can be said to be a ‘medium-end model’ that emphasizes excellent cost-effectiveness rather than the expensive, high-end drones that American or European customers want. Due to the nature of the Accesswi unmanned aerial vehicle, it is optimized for mid-band surveillance and reconnaissance needs in countries with complex coastlines, so Southeast Asian countries were selected as priority target markets.
In particular, we are confident that if our unmanned aerial vehicle proves its performance not only in Korea but also in Southeast Asian countries, it can be sufficiently competitive in the United States and Europe.
Q. AVING News: Recently, the military drone industry is trying to overcome the limitations of existing frequency communication based on drone objectification and AI, and increase the operational range and utilization of military drones. What measures and direction does the Access Committee have in relation to this?
A Access Switch: Our unmanned aerial vehicle is already equipped with an AI module and is designed to enable automatic classification of targets for surveillance and reconnaissance. However, the types and targets of target identification using AI modules are still limited. However, Accessiwi plans to significantly expand the targets and types of targets that can be identified through deep learning of the AI module in the future, thereby dramatically expanding operability and convenience for users.
Q. AVING News: In order to enter the global market beyond the domestic market, it is necessary not only to obtain local licenses but also to undergo more rigorous verification of safety and performance. Are there any procedures currently being prepared or completed for market expansion?
A Accessiwi: Starting with coastal reconnaissance drones, all Accessiu unmanned aerial vehicles used in the helicopter-unmanned aerial vehicle interlocking system business are carrying out the project with the goal of obtaining ‘military airworthiness certification’, which is the most stringent and demanding airworthiness standard in Korea.
Above all, if the Accesswi unmanned aerial vehicle product passes military airworthiness certification and is operated by the military, we believe that we will be able to significantly expand our domestic and overseas sales channels based on this.
Q. AVING News: I understand that Accesswi is developing and building a variety of systems that can control drones remotely from the ground as well as drones. I am curious whether the company is open to the possibility of partnerships with domestic companies based on such technological capabilities.
A Access Swi: Access Swi prides itself on being a unmanned aerial vehicle system integration company beyond a drone manufacturer. We are doing our best to expand our technological capabilities not only for the unmanned aerial vehicles themselves, but also for control systems, software, and data links that can control the unmanned aerial vehicles, either through self-development or through partnerships with domestic companies.
Q. AVING News: The domestic drone industry is fighting a tough battle with China in manufacturing and the United States and Europe in the software field. Above all, the biggest problem seems to be that it is difficult to commercialize drone products that were introduced with difficulty and make it difficult to achieve actual profits. I am curious about how Accesswi is overcoming this difficult situation.
A. Access Service: Unmanned aerial vehicles do not have a distribution structure that generates sales at all times. However, while giving priority to government-sponsored projects such as the military, maintaining a balance in sales is achieved by modifying and applying the head office’s product line to areas with diverse needs in the private sector, such as transportation, mapping, and lifesaving, or by developing distribution channels at shopping malls operated by the company. I’m doing it.
Meanwhile, the exhibition items of the 2023 Drone Show Korea, hosted by the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy, the Ministry of Science and ICT, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport, the Ministry of National Defense, and Busan Metropolitan City, and organized by BEXCO and the Korea Unmanned Aerial System Association are as follows. △Manufacturing (drone, military, UAM/AAM, surveying, mapping, firefighting, station, unmanned robot, leisure, broadcasting) △Utilizing industry (photography, control, spatial information, logistics, disaster management, security, reconnaissance, construction, deep sea exploration) Etc.) △Parts and technology (communication, ground control, autonomous flight, system and S/W technology, fuel cell sensor, motor, battery, etc.) △Service (education, finance, rental, insurance, investment consulting, etc.) △ Institutions (related institutions, associations/organizations, universities)