A forum was created to examine the current state of the domestic UAM industry and discuss institutional arrangements and business directions from various perspectives, including development technology, certification, and business models.

The UAM industry is a huge market with significant potential due to its interconnectivity with various fields. Experts agree that government-led and joint research and development between industry, academia, and research institutes is essential for pioneering the new UAM market.

On the 22nd, the KIEI Industrial Education Research Institute held a 'UAM Present and Future Outlook Seminar' at its headquarters in Guro-dong.

In this seminar, △CKO Kim Myeong-jip (Pablo Aviation) △Team Leader Shin Bok-gyun (Korea Aerospace Research Association) △Vice President Hwang Chang-jeon (Korea Aerospace Research Institute UAM Research Department) △Senior Researcher Namgung Pyeong (Aviation Safety Technology Institute) △Executive Director Kim Myeong-hyo (Hanwha Aerospace) △Team Leader Shin Sang-hoon (SK Telecom) △Director Jang Jeong-hoon (Moasoft Future Business Division)) covered UAM trends, infrastructure, core technologies, aviation certification, business models, etc.

UAM is a transportation system based on electric vertical takeoff and landing (eVTOL) aircraft, and is attracting attention as a next-generation transportation system due to its features such as vertical takeoff and landing, low noise, stable flight, and ability to connect with various ground transportation methods.

Kim Myung-jip, CKO of Pablo Aviation, said that as urbanization accelerated after the Industrial Revolution in the 18th century and carbon dioxide concentrations continued to increase, electrification in the field of e-mobility emerged as a megatrend driven by eco-friendly policies.

Kim CKO said, “As urban overload has made the transition to smart cities more important, operators need to select eVTOLs of appropriate size based on urban air traffic demand,” adding, “In order to achieve Mobility As A Service (Maas), building various security measures, infrastructure, and partnerships are important.”

■ Government-led K-UAM must establish an aviation certification strategy.

In a presentation on the development trends of the 'UAM Industrial Operation Aircraft AAV', Team Leader Shin Bok-gyun of the Korea Aerospace Research Association asserted that in order to take the lead in the AAV market, it is necessary to pioneer overseas markets through global joint development.

Aviation certification is the process of assessing and evaluating the suitability of aircraft for flight safety requirements throughout the entire process, including design, production, and operation, to ensure the aircraft's navigational safety. For example, when manufacturing an aircraft, FFA type certification approval is required, and automobile manufacturers cannot produce aircraft parts without approval even if they produce automobile parts.

Team leader Shin said, “Korea’s aviation technology level can be seen as being close to that of advanced countries in areas such as aircraft structure,” through strategies such as participation in global international joint development, development of military and government AAV aircraft, and development of civilian-military AAV core systems. He added, “We must establish strategies and achieve goals for domestically independent aircraft development.”

In his presentation on 'UAM eVTOL Core Technologies and Development Issues,' Hwang Chang-jeon, Director of the Korea Aerospace Research Institute, argued that in order to revitalize the K-UAM industry ecosystem, the government needs to take the lead in research and development for certification, safe operation systems, and technology introduction.

In particular, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport and the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy have been conducting a project to develop prototypes for verifying future aircraft technology (OPPAV, remotely controlled or autonomous flight, or manned and unmanned personal aircraft that can be piloted by a pilot) and to develop certification and safe operation technology since 2019. Additionally, the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport's Grand Challenge (demonstration project) was launched to verify the operation of Korean UAM, aiming for commercialization of UAM in 25 years.

In his presentation on 'UAM International Aviation Certification Trends and Certification System Development Plans,' Namgung Pyeong, a senior researcher at the Korea Aviation Safety Technology Institute, argued that the government should activate the system based on securing optimized safety rather than unconditionally imposing regulations.

Researcher Nam said, "The key issues in the UAM industry are establishing a system for promoting the aviation industry, such as UAM certification and operation, and safety certification. The key is the level of safety that can be achieved."

Additionally, “our country has plans to revise existing laws or create new ones. “We are creating standards that can reassure the public through the first enactment and revision in 2023 and the second in 2025,” he said.

■ Current status of domestic and international partnerships for UAM commercialization
Hanwha Aerospace is leading the aircraft engine and parts business, including the Nuriho engine, and is also developing UAM eco-friendly powertrains, as well as promoting UAM business with various domestic and international partners, including Hanwha Systems-Overair (airframe system integration), Hanwha Solutions (composite materials suitable for mass production of aircraft), Kymeta (UAM traffic management system), Korea Airports Corporation (airfield construction), Kakao Mobility, and SKT (ground mobility).

“We formed a consortium in January of this year, and earlier this year, Hanwha Systems and Hanwha Aerospace invested 150 billion won in Overair,” said Executive Director Kim. “Together with Hanwha Group and its partners, we will grow into a leading global aerospace company.”

In his presentation on 'K-UAM Components and SKT Business Promotion Status,' SKT T3K Future R&D Team Leader Shin Sang-hoon emphasized the importance of establishing a system for UAM commercialization and asserted that safety and public accessibility must be secured for commercialization.

SKT is planning to launch the UAM business as a future business in 10 years. We are currently pursuing a UAM terrestrial communications network design and construction project to secure selection, partnerships, and capabilities.

Team leader Shin said, “SKT secured the aircraft through a strategic partnership with Joby, a US company with the most advanced technology, and completed the submission of a proposal by the consortium to participate in the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s demonstration project in February, and is currently in full preparation.”

Lastly, in his presentation on ‘UAM-equipped software development and verification plan,’ Jang Jeong-hoon, director of Moasoft, proposed a solution to the problems that arise as the amount of software installed in UAM increases, and argued that securing development personnel is important.

Director Jang stated, "UAM software design and testing must follow the DO-178C standard. Starting this year, more and more companies are adopting MBD development methods. This approach reduces effort by 59% compared to manual development methods, based on the DAL C standard." He added, "Europe and the US have already adopted the MBD process as a solution, and Korea is also transitioning."