[Economic Post = Lee Seok-kyun, Chief Reporter] KOTRA (President Yoo Jung-yeol) and the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (Director Lee Dae-sung) announced that they organized a Korean Pavilion at the “DronItaly” exhibition held from October 9 to 11 in Bologna, Italy, and launched the “Korea-Italy Drone Cooperation Project” to target the Italian and European markets.

Italy, one of the EU’s three largest economies, is a manufacturing powerhouse alongside Germany, with manufacturing accounting for 24% of its GDP. Italy boasts strong manufacturing capabilities in various sectors such as aviation, shipbuilding, machinery, and chemicals. Interest and demand for drone utilization are increasing, with over 650 Italian companies involved in drone-related fields such as manufacturing, defense, and agriculture, making it a promising industry.

The event featured a comprehensive program aligned with Italy’s industrial environment and drone demand, including industry briefings, corporate pitching, exhibitions and export consultations, and an MOU signing between the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology (KIAST) and the Italian Civil Aviation Authority (ENAC).

Nine Korean companies and institutions specializing in drones, drone bodies, components (GPS, lightweight batteries, sensors, etc.), and solutions participated. They engaged with local organizations such as ENAC, the Drone Association (ASSORPAS), and the Advanced Air Mobility Research Institute at Politecnico di Milano (POLIMI), along with leading local companies.

Through pre-marketing efforts, the Korean delegation successfully attracted interest from Italian drone manufacturers like Nimbus and Dronus, as well as global defense firm Leonardo, leading to substantive discussions on concrete cooperation strategies for entering the European market. Italian drone manufacturers highly evaluated Korean small motors, lightweight batteries, and receivers for their technology and price competitiveness and agreed to sample testing as potential alternative suppliers. Discussions also covered introducing Korean industrial drones and solutions—such as indoor facility inspection drones, heavy-lift delivery drones, and spatial information collection software—to the European market.

Hong Jung-ah, head of KOTRA Milan Trade Center, said, “Italy’s drone industry, backed by manufacturing and advanced technology capabilities, has great growth potential. We plan to continue exploring market entry opportunities in Italy through promotion and cooperation with Korean drone and unmanned aircraft companies.”

Kang Chang-bong, head of the Future Aviation Division at the Korea Institute of Aviation Safety Technology, said, “Since 2020, Korea’s drone industry has been making phased efforts to enter the global market through government-industry collaboration, earning recognition as a global leader. Participation in DronItaly aims to promote Korean drone technology and application models in Europe and establish diverse cooperation foundations.”

Reporter: Lee Seok-kyun (lsg@economicpost.co.kr)