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Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Media Release

Singapore designates One-North as first drone estate

7 February 2018

Estate to serve as urban living lab and test-bed for drone solutions

The Ministry of Transport (MOT), the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) and JTC will designate one-north as a drone estate to facilitate the trial of innovative UAS (unmanned aircraft systems) technologies and commercial use-cases in a controlled urban environment. 

Master-planned and developed by JTC, one-north is a 200ha business park that offers an ideal location to test varying urban environment complexities for UAS operations. These comprise various typologies ranging from high-rise to low-rise buildings, as well as public spaces like parks. one-north is also a fertile ground for research and innovation, where a vibrant community of start-ups, technology owners and research institutions test-bed their latest urban solutions. 

Under the drone estate initiative, approved operators and research users can carry out their trials and operations at one-north without compromising safety and security. For a start, CAAS will be working with companies which intend to conduct trials and other development activities in the drone estate for a variety of potential use cases. The companies and use-cases are listed in the accompanying fact sheet. 

Loh Ngai Seng, Permanent Secretary (Transport) and Chairman of the national inter-agency UAS Committee, notes, “There is much potential for UAS operations to transform mobility and logistics in urban cities, so we want to encourage the development of beneficial uses of UAS in Singapore, while maintaining safety and security. We hope the one-north drone estate will support and facilitate commercial companies to trial innovative UAS uses. The concentration of numerous UAS trials and activities in one-north will also provide MOT and CAAS with the opportunity to study the technical capabilities and expertise needed to manage high-volume, complex UAS operations in a dense, urban environment.” 

“The UAS sector has much potential, but this always needs to be balanced against the need to ensure public safety. With the drone estate, we will be able to work hand in hand with companies to develop the rules and regulations to ensure the safe use of drones in Singapore,” said Kevin Shum, CAAS Director-General. 

Ng Lang, CEO of JTC, said, “This project is consistent with our current approach to use our business and industrial parks as living labs to catalyse the development of new urban solutions. They serve to inform how we can better design future precincts in Singapore to incorporate new technologies, and accelerate their adoption.” 

Click here for the Annex (opens in new tab)

About the Ministry of Transport 
The Ministry of Transport formulates polices for the air, land and sea transport sectors. The Ministry strengthens Singapore’s connectivity and develops the transport sector’s potential to advance the country’s economic competitiveness and the quality of life in Singapore. Our vision is to have an integrated transportation system that connects people and places seamlessly within Singapore, and to the rest of the world. The Ministry oversees four statutory boards, comprising the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore, Land Transport Authority, Maritime & Port Authority of Singapore and Public Transport Council, which are responsible for the implementation of transport policies and operational matters. Please visit www.mot.gov.sg (opens in new tab) for more information. 

About the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) 

The mission of the Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore (CAAS) is to grow a safe, vibrant air hub and civil aviation system, making a key contribution to Singapore's success. CAAS' roles are to oversee and promote safety in the aviation industry, develop the air hub and aviation industry, provide air navigation services, provide aviation training for human resource development, and contribute to the development of international civil aviation. For more information, visit https://www.caas.gov.sg/ (opens in new tab) 

About the JTC 
Set up in 1968, JTC is the lead government agency responsible for the development of industrial infrastructure to support and catalyse the growth of industries and enterprises in Singapore. Landmark projects by JTC include the Jurong Industrial Estate; the Jurong Island for energy and chemical industries; business and specialised parks such as Airport Logistics Park of Singapore, International Business Park, Changi Business Park, Seletar Aerospace Park, CleanTech Park and Tuas Biomedical Park; a work-live-play-&-learn development called one-north; and the Jurong Rock Caverns, Southeast Asia’s first commercial underground storage facility for liquid hydrocarbons. JTC also develops innovative space such as JTC Surface Engineering Hub, JTC MedTech Hub @ MedTech Park and JTC Food Hub @ Senoko, which incorporate innovative features and shared infrastructure to enable industrialists to start their operations quickly and enhance productivity. For more information, visit www.jtc.gov.sg (opens in new tab). 
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For media queries, please contact:

Civil Aviation Authority of Singapore
Email: caas_corporate_communications@caas.gov.sg (opens in new tab)