Akihabara News (Tokyo) \u2014 The Hyogo Prefectural Government is becoming increasingly proactive in its effort to emerge as a base for Japan\u2019s eVTOL industry, in part to take advantage of the 2025 World Expo in neighboring Osaka Prefecture.<\/p>\n
In its latest moves, the prefecture is scoping out potential vertiport sites, preparing subsidies and promotional events, and has signed a cooperation agreement with eVTOL-maker SkyDrive.<\/p>\n
Hyogo Governor Motohiko Saito announced this week that his administration wants to identify about three potential vertiport sites, and he suggested that one of these might be the planned Phoenix Business Site, currently a landfill along the coastline of \u200b\u200bAmagasaki city. This site has the advantage of being only about 2.5 kilometers from the manmade island of Yumeshima, where the 2025 Expo will be held.<\/p>\n
After personally inspecting the area, Governor Saito declared that it has \u201cgreat potential,\u201d adding that \u201cwe would like to support test flights and the dissemination of information to the residents of the prefecture.\u201d<\/p>\n
The prefectural government is asking private companies to consider commercial operations of eVTOL, and is promising to be supportive of route surveys and test flights within the prefecture. In FY2023, the prefecture is offering up to \u00a510 million (US$77,000) in subsidies for each project that aims to establish eVTOL-related businesses within the prefecture.<\/p>\n
The prefecture is also planning to host a \u201cNext-Generation Air Mobility Conference\u201d (provisional name) to discuss ways to disseminate information and increase public awareness about the potential of eVTOLs. This will likely be held by March next year.<\/p>\n
Overall, the prefectural government has budgeted a total of about \u00a550 million (US$385,000) for eVTOL industry promotion in the April 2023-March 2024 period.<\/p>\n
As an early step, the prefecture signed a cooperation agreement this week with Japan\u2019s leading eVTOL-maker, SkyDrive. While it is not clear exactly what this partnership will entail, the announcement speaks of \u201cdevelopment and social implementation of flying cars through the promotion of industrialization, achieving disaster prevention and mitigation, and building momentum for the 2025 Osaka-Kansai Expo.\u201d<\/p>\n
Last year, it should be recalled, the prefectural government also created the Hyogo Advanced Air Mobility (HAAM) lab, a virtual laboratory aiming to promote the eVTOL industry, foster social acceptance, support the efforts of student researchers, and to develop human resources necessary for the industry to prosper.<\/p>\n
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Akihabara News (Tokyo) \u2014 The Hyogo Prefectural Government is becoming increasingly proactive in its effort to emerge as a base for Japan\u2019s eVTOL industry, in part to take advantage of the 2025 World Expo in neighboring Osaka Prefecture. In its … Continue reading
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\nSource: Akihabara News – Hyogo Bids to Become eVTOL Base<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"