Business competitiveness is mainly determined by logistics services, especially in terms of how fast and costly the transportation services are being realized. Beihang UAS, a Chinese company specializing in unmanned aircraft and drones, is offering businesses much cheaper and faster transportation services with the use of its unmanned aircraft system (UAS) or unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV).

“We’re ready to help businesses in Southeast Asia, including Indonesia, to cut transportation costs and the time needed to transport products. Our unmanned aircraft will do the logistics services much faster and for much cheaper,” said Fu Junhui, the general manager of Beihang UAS, on the sidelines of the 2018 Indo Defence Expo and Forum in Jiexpo, Kemayoran, Central Jakarta, on Thursday.

He said that Beihang UAS Technology Co Ltd is an offshoot of Beihang University, previously known as Beijing University of Aeronautics and Astronautics, which evolved from the Unmanned Aerial Vehicle Institute of Beihang University. It was the first organization in China to conduct UAV research and development with the approval the Central Military Commission of China. It has always been a leader in key fields, such as large-scale long endurance Unmanned Aircraft System technology. In June 2016, to better promote UAS industry development, Beihang UAS was formed with the approval of Beihang University, creating China's first listed company with large-scale UAV as its main business.

“Our company is committed to conducting R&D, manufacturing, sales and service of UAS, light aircraft and airborne/ground equipment. With the achievements of the independent development of China’s first high-altitude high-speed reconnaissance UAV and first large-scale long-endurance reconnaissance UAV, it won the National Science and Technology Progress Award twice. As the science and technology research achievements industrialization platform of Beihang University, it initiates and upholds the development principles of serving new national defense capability, establishing new industrialization mechanisms, constructing new civil-military integration models. Previously, we focused more on defence application, but in the future we’ll also pay key attention to civilian products, hoping that we can help develop the economy in the region,” he said.

He pointed out that using the system of unmanned aircraft or cargo drones to transport goods would be much more efficient and effective. “There is no need to specially train crews for the UAV and it’s efficient, effective and faster. We will reduce a lot criteria needed for conventional flights by using the UAV. It has a very promising future in the market. In Southeast Asia you have a very good basis, economically and culturally for using the UAV.” For example, to transport cargo from Jakarta to Bandung with the direct distance of about 150km, it will only take half an hour while it costs 4 hours by land or ship transportation.

He said the entrance into markets in ASEAN, including Indonesia, would be implemented in three stages. “First, we can bring the product into Indonesia to meet the urgent need emerging in the country. The unmanned aircraft can be effectively used in remote areas, or in severe environments, such as in mountainous areas for rescue efforts, for transportation between the islands, for maritime civilian reconnaissance. And also to meet market demands that cannot be met by conventional aircrafts or other transportation modes by cooperating together with local partners,” he said.

Second, he said, they will focus on talent cultivation, not only for technical expertise, but also for management skills. “You know, we’re from the university. In our Beihang University, there are many students from Indonesia. We’re very willing to develop the local capacity to master this technology. In the future, we can carry out research and development in Indonesia. We also have a plan to establish a local entity in Indonesia that will teach the local talents not only on how to use the unmanned aircrafts, but also how to manufacture them. We see that Indonesia and other Southeast Asian countries have a good and supportive environment to help the industry grow,” he said.

“Third, through earlier progress, we hope we can promote the wide application of unmanned aircraft to all sectors of the local economy to generate higher economic growth in the region,” he said.

In the future, Beihang UAS would aim to become an international first-class UAS supplier with unremitting efforts, aiming at world cutting-edge technologies with new layouts, new energy and high-intelligence as the focus to develop a series of advanced UAS with long-endurance, large-payload, multifunction and high-intelligence, to meet the rapidly surging demand for UAS application in the whole world,” he said. (*)

Popular

RI, Australia strengthen partnership on taxing crypto assets

Analysis: Indonesia denies normalization with Israel to enter OECD

Citroen to produce electric cars in Indonesia