▲ The '2022 K-UAM CONFEX' will be held at Paradise City Hotel Yeongjong from November 9 to 12.

Held from the 9th to the 12th in Yeongjong... Plenty to see including international conferences, exhibitions, and networking
Hyundai Motor Chairman Shin Jae-won’s Keynote Speech: "Building the UAM Ecosystem, Everyone Must Cooperate"

Incheon Metropolitan City is establishing a cooperation system between international cities and companies to leap forward as a world-class UAM city.

Incheon City will host the '2022 K-UAM CONFEX' at Paradise City Hotel in Yeongjong from November 9 to 12.

This event, marking its second year, will feature a conference and booth exhibition discussing the latest trends in Urban Air Mobility (UAM) aimed at commercialization around 2025, as well as a Biz Salon and the Boss Forum AAM/UAM Joint Roundtable.

The event emphasized the importance of mutual cooperation between domestic and international cities and companies in various aspects of Urban Air Mobility (UAM), which is expected to solve urban traffic and environmental problems.

At the opening ceremony held on the 10th, △Incheon-led cities &Three MOU signing ceremonies were held, including the Urban Air Mobility International Cooperation System (GURS) between airports, universities, and research institutions, the establishment of urban air mobility demonstration routes and vertiports in Incheon Metropolitan City, and the business agreement for UAM demonstration flights and safety technology development between Incheon Metropolitan City, Korean Air, Inha University, Korea Aerospace University, and the Aerospace Industry-Academic Convergence Institute.

The event kicked off with an opening address by Park Deok-su, Vice Mayor of Incheon Metropolitan City. In his welcoming remarks, Kim Kyung-wook, President of Incheon International Airport Corporation, stated, "As airport shuttles are promising in the early stages of UAM commercialization and public acceptance is a critical consideration, Incheon International Airport Corporation will join forces through this event to contribute to providing a better experience for passengers."

In his welcoming remarks, Inha University President Cho Myung-woo stated, "Inha University is striving to cultivate talent by establishing a smart mobility department and is also focusing on formulating R&D strategies." "I hope that through this event, we can gain a lot of inspiration for the advanced leap forward of UAM," he said.

In his congratulatory remarks, Gyeongin Broadcasting Chairman Cho Dong-sung stated, "Although the concept of UAM did not exist until just a few years ago, I hope that Incheon City's event to lead the UAM market, which has rapidly emerged as a future mode of transportation, will be a meaningful occasion."

Next, Hyundai Motor Chairman Shin Jae-won spoke on the theme of 'Innovation in the Mobility Industry, UAM,' and Michal Guterres (former MITRE Portfolio Director, UA&UAS) discussed UAM strategies and Incheon's roadmap.

■ UAM, a New Mode of Transportation Connecting Incheon Islands by 2035

Director Michael Guterres explained the UAM roadmap and goals, as well as why Incheon is the optimal city for UAM.

Incheon City possesses geographical characteristics such as numerous islands, operates Incheon International Airport and Incheon Port, and is equipped with optimal conditions as it has the will to leap forward as a world-class UAM city in fields such as logistics and transportation, as well as the capacity to foster talent, establish related infrastructure, and build a system for demonstration testing.

Furthermore, Incheon City is taking the lead in establishing a cooperation system among global cities and companies, and through the construction of a digital twin, the publicWe are promoting the improvement of urban acceptance for UAM commercialization, including understanding the ground environment.

If UAM is applied to the island areas of Incheon, it is expected that patient transport in the medical field could be reduced from one hour to a maximum of 10 minutes, and logistics transportation is expected to become smoother.

Michael said, "Incheon aims to introduce UAM into the logistics transportation sector by 2025, and plans to attempt a slightly higher-risk demonstration on existing infrastructure in 2030." He expressed his expectation that "infrastructure and regulations will be established in tandem with future technological maturity, and by 2035, UAM will become a new mode of transportation connecting not only Incheon Airport but also the islands."

Furthermore, to this end, they argued that "integration must be achieved gradually across various fields such as technology, infrastructure, airspace, operations, human resources, and regulations," and that "a new approach involving diverse stakeholders is necessary."

Finally, Michael added, "The role of local governments will become important in the process of connecting and integrating with existing cities in various ways."