Futurise Sdn Bhd (Futurise) together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM) unveiled the unmanned aircraft system (UAS) certification (C-UAS) and manned electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) aircraft national regulatory sandbox (Manned eVTOL NRS) earlier Tuesday.
Announced during the RegTalk series under the theme “Advanced Air Mobility (AAM) & Certified UAS Regulatory Challenges”, the certification and regulatory sandbox hopes to balance public safety with industry needs, both parties said in a statement.
The initiatives are also aimed at facilitating a conducive environment while enabling active and unhindered cultivation of innovative air mobility solutions to pave the way for Malaysian smart mobility.
Manned eVTOL NRS on C-UAS will ensure all UAS operating within the sandbox meets all regulatory standards as set by CAAM, an essential requirement to certify that all UAS that are to be deployed during testing are operated under equivalent safety standards.
In his opening remarks, Malaysian Deputy Transport Minister, Haji Hasbi said that collaborative efforts such as C-UAS and the Manned eVTOL NRS are prime examples of how key ecosystem players can band together to truly transform the industry and level the playing field for local drone technology companies.
“While our nation’s drone industry has made great strides in recent years, we cannot rest on our laurels. There remains more to be done. We must foster a collaborative ecosystem and take catalytic steps to fulfil our nation’s aspirations of becoming a key player in the global drone industry and an ASEAN drone hub,
“I laud, encourage, and hope to see the forging of more dynamic collaborative efforts that will lay the building blocks to create a thriving urban air mobility landscape for Malaysia,” he said.
The Deputy Transport Minister also shared that these initiatives will further reinforce the government’s national agenda to support the UAS ecosystem and will increase Malaysia’s economic impact.
Rosihan Zain Baharudin, chief executive officer of Futurise said that these new initiatives will remove a lot of the red tape which will enable more companies to introduce their solutions without excessive curtailing.
“We are excited to be working with MOT and CAAM to design a conducive ecosystem that will fast-track Malaysia’s drone industry,
“Safety remains a priority and with C-UAS and the Manned eVTOL NRS, we will be able to better foster the creation of world-class applications of drone technology without having the sandbox participating companies’ future-first ideas stymied, all while ensuring the safety of the public,” he said
He also said that it is important for Malaysia to look at AAM given the potential benefits for businesses and society as it promises to move people and cargo more quickly, safely and quietly as compared to helicopters.
“Furthermore, AAM is also expected to reduce traffic or ground congestion resulting in a low carbon footprint for the overall environment,” he added.
Chief Executive Officer of CAAM, Captain Norazman Mahmud shared with today’s technological advancements and cutting-edge innovations, regulatory buy-in and leeway for experimentation are mission-critical.
“By breaking down quite a bit of the policy barriers and instating ones that are forward-thinking, we will be able to see more home-grown solutions take flight,
“This will help our local drone industry gain momentum and simultaneously allow us as a nation to benefit from an increase in drone technology implementation across varied industries,” he added.
The CAAM is a regulatory body that is responsible to ensure efficient management of the safety and security of the civil aviation industry.
Its roles are to enable the growth of the aviation industry, regulate, oversee, and promote safety in the industry, provide air navigation services, and to ensure that the national and international obligations of Malaysia in matters relating to civil aviation are carried out to comply with international safety and security standards.
Futurise is a wholly-owned subsidiary of Cyberview Sdn Bhd under the Ministry of Finance.
Futurise is mandated by the government of Malaysia to manage the National Regulatory Sandbox.
The firm provides public policy advisory, acting as a key enabler of regulatory solutions to expedite innovation and future-proof Malaysia’s economy.
Keyword: Futurise teams up with CAAM to advance Malaysian urban air mobility