Alchera, a company specializing in image recognition artificial intelligence (AI), announced on the 23rd that it will begin full-scale entry into overseas markets centered around its SaaS-based wildfire early detection AI solution, FireScout.

Alchera's Fire Scout uses AI algorithms to identify the early stages of a fire. When abnormal signs such as smoke are detected, it quickly analyzes CCTV footage to determine whether there is a fire and then reports it to the forest fire surveillance center.

It has been reported that Alchera plans to focus on expanding its global market share by actively targeting the Middle Eastern market. In the Middle East, the demand for building digital government systems and developing AI is increasing significantly. In fact, in the United Arab Emirates (UAE), AI technology is expected to account for about 14% of the country’s gross domestic product (GDP), or $96 billion (about 130 trillion won) by 2030, and AI technology is being actively applied across all industries.

Last August, Alchera signed a memorandum of understanding (MOU) with Thuraya, one of the world's top three satellite communication companies, and began expanding and improving the detection range of FireScout. Thuraya, established in 1997, is the UAE's first satellite operator and a subsidiary of Yahsat, a UAE state-owned enterprise that provides multi-satellite services, providing telecommunications services to 161 countries including Europe, the Middle East, and North Africa.

As part of the MOU, Alchera jointly demonstrated its solution at 'GITEX 2023', the largest IT exhibition in the Middle East held at the Dubai World Trade Center in UAE. Fire Scout is expected to use satellites to enhance forest fire detection and communication capabilities, and expand its contribution to social safety and environmental protection.

It appears to have the advantage of being able to provide services even in areas with poor network infrastructure compared to the existing method using CCTV.

Alchera CEO Young-Kyu Hwang said, “There is a lot of interest in Alchera’s technology with high accuracy and utility in Middle Eastern countries that are pursuing digital transformation and growth,” and expressed his ambition to “make Alchera’s technology, which is not limited by data, devices, or industries, the global AI standard.”

“Alchera’s ultimate goal is to go beyond product innovation and transform the disaster management business by fusing cutting-edge AI technology with wildfire risk management systems,” said Hong Hyun-jin, COO of Alchera and CEO of Alchera X (USA). “We are currently discussing specific, multi-faceted cooperation plans for low-carbon emissions with global companies in various fields, such as flame retardancy to prevent the spread of fire, transportation, and mobility.”

Meanwhile, Alchera discussed business cooperation plans for entering the Middle Eastern market with officials from the Abu Dhabi Investment Promotion Authority in July, and confirmed the demand for Alchera's outstanding accuracy and technological prowess in the global market.

Fire Scout is currently detecting forest fires in an area of 87,200 square kilometers around the world, including the United States and Australia. This is equivalent to 19,400 times the size of Yeouido, and the detection area is expected to rapidly expand in line with global demand. In the first half of this year alone, it detected approximately 22,000 fires day and night around the world, playing a role in preventing the spread of large-scale forest fires and protecting the environment.