Heron AirBridge, Singapore-based provider of Unmanned Aircraft System Traffic Management (UTM) technology, has recently inked a partnership agreement with Thailand’s leading research establishment King Mongkut’s Institute of Technology Ladkrabang (KMITL) to collaborate on the research and development of UTM concepts and technologies in Thailand.
Despite the global progress in unmanned aircraft adoption, Southeast Asia has witnessed slower growth in this domain. Notably, Thailand faces significant challenges due to airspace congestion, despite running one of the busiest international airports in the region. As a result, the potential for Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) in the Southeast Asian market, particularly Thailand, is expected to be substantial.
To help accelerate the deployment of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) in Thailand, Heron AirBridge has signed a new partnership with KMITL’s International Academy of Aviation Industry to build up the local Thai expertise and capabilities required for the development of UAS Traffic Management concepts, technologies and services.
Heron AirBridge is the Southeast Asian leader in unmanned aircraft system traffic management. As the subsidiary of the Heron Technology Group, a cybersecurity and drone technology services provider from Singapore, Heron AirBridge is focused on the research and development of cutting-edge Advanced Air Mobility and drone technology solutions while emphasising safety and security standards across its platforms and services.
Ryan Lee, CEO and co-founder of Heron AirBridge, expressed his enthusiasm about the collaboration with KMITL, stating, “I am extremely proud to work with such a prestigious institution such as KMITL. This partnership holds great promise for fostering long-term relationships in Thailand and supporting them on their Thailand 4.0 journey. Through UAS deployment, we aim to boost economic prosperity while simultaneously protecting the environment.”
As part of the deal, the cooperation will promote UTM services, operational concepts and workflows specifically tailored to Thailand’s needs. It will emphasize the numerous benefits that AAM can bring to the local economy and the different sectors, including logistics, emergency services, agriculture, forestry and energy. The long-term vision is to create a baseline UTM system that can be further customised according to Thailand’s future needs and requirements.
According to Assistant Professor Dr. Soemsak Yooyen, the dean of the International Academy of Aviation Industry, the collaboration with Heron AirBridge is a significant milestone for the organisation. “By combining our strengths and expertise, we have the opportunity to create pioneering solutions in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. We firmly believe that this new partnership will unlock doors of opportunity for research, development, and innovation in the aviation industry,” he said.
He added that their goal is to establish a strong foundation for UTM concepts, operational workflows and technologies to pave the way for the future of aviation in Thailand.
Heron AirBridge only started business two years ago, but it has been progressively increasing its presence in Asia as part of its mission to accelerate UAS adoption and deployment in the region. The KMITL collaboration is seen as a great opportunity to obtain new knowledge and perform more beyond visual line of sight flight trials, which are now restricted in Singapore. The drone tech firm hopes that the experience will lead to more cooperation opportunities with other industry players and stakeholders in neighboring markets. Markets such as Indonesia, Malaysia, Vietnam and the Philippines can certainly benefit from the broader use of UAS also. Thanks to its great strategic location, Heron AirBridge is well poised to provide strong and localised support and assist them with their UTM capabilities and solutions.
