Iskandar Investment opens drone test site to advance ecocsystem

• Private-public partnership between industry and state
• To become growth and technology egine for Malaysia

IIskandar Investment Berhad (IIB) has opened a Drone Test Site (DTS) here in Medini, what it claims to be the largest in Malaysia and South East Asia.

In a statement, IIB said the DTS is a public-private partnership programme with the Johor State Government in support of the state’s digital economy agenda to accelerate growth towards becoming a regional and global business hub.

DRZ Iskandar plans to create a drone and robotics eco-system in Iskandar Puteri, it said  would become a growth engine, technology leader and talent hub for Malaysia and APAC.

IIB said DRZ Iskandar is projected to bring in US$84mil (RM351mil) in investments and generate 1,000 high-value jobs by 2025 in drone and robotics.

Johor chief minister Hasni Mohammad, said, “The state government welcomes all drone technology players in Malaysia and the region to set-up their businesses here. It also gives me great pleasure to know that this initiative will attract emerging tech talents, gig economy workers and contribute towards new job creation for Johoreans.”

President  and CEO of IIB Khairil Anwar Ahmad said, “We work closely with our major industry players, such as DHL Express who has played a significant role in developing the local drone community. In this regard, the opening of the DTS, which spans more than 1,700 acres in DRZ Iskandar, is one of the key elements in supporting the realisation of the Johor State digital economy agenda.”

IIB said the DTS located in Medini features two sites measuring approximately 25 acres (DTS 1) and 1,700 acres (DTS 2) respectively.

DTS 1 caters for 'visual line of sight' flights while 'beyond visual line of sight' flights, the first of its kind in Malaysia, will be carried out in DTS 2, it said

Both DTS 1 and DTS 2 are the main components of DRZ Iskandar, recognised by the Ministry of Science, Technology and Innovation (MOSTI) as a National Technology and Innovation Sandbox (NTIS),

IIB said the aim was to provide a safe and real environment for innovators to test, fly and learn and try out new ways for unmanned aircraft to be integrated into the skies.

Together with the Civil Aviation Authority of Malaysia (CAAM), the data gathered by DTS would enable enhancing of regulations towards the development of a robust drone ecosystem, it added.

With the opening of DTS, more test flights and Proof of Concepts (PoC) would be taking place at DRZ Iskandar.

IIB said DRZ Iskandar also welcomes Malaysia Debt Ventures (MDV), a company under the Ministry of Finance, Malaysia that provides innovative financing facilities and nurturing services to high growth sector companies as the funding partner for DRZ Iskandar.

Already operating and having their presence here are Malaysia Sports Aviation Federation (MSAF), DHL Express, SG Akademi (M) Sdn. Bhd., Garuda Robotics (M) Sdn. Bhd., and Alphaswift Industries Sdn Bhd.