KUALA SELANGOR, July 30 — Selangor has allocated RM500,000 to further develop its drone industry through the enhancement of Droneport-1000, including strategic collaboration with the private sector.
State executive councillor for Islamic affairs and innovation culture, Dr Mohammad Fahmi Ngah, said the allocation, to be provided next year, is expected to strengthen Droneport-1000's capabilities and accelerate the growth of the state's drone industry.
The funding will be used to upgrade existing facilities and develop various programmes in partnership with industry players.
"We have agreed to allocate RM500,000 next year to upgrade Droneport-1000 and develop programmes together with the private sector.
"We may also introduce matching grant schemes and similar incentives to attract private companies to establish a presence here and test their drone technologies," he told the media.
Earlier, Fahmi officiated the Droneport-1000 pre-launch ceremony at UNISEL, attended by Selangor Aviation and Technology Innovations Sdn Bhd chief executive officer Zannifa Azura Ahmad and UNISEL president cum vice-chancellor Prof Emeritus Datuk Hassan Basri.
Meanwhile, he said the development of the drone industry would continue under the Second Selangor Plan (RS-2), including efforts to explore opportunities in water-based and underground drone ecosystems.
"The establishment of the Selangor Drone Centre of Excellence (SDCoE) is a policy initiative under the First Selangor Plan (RS-1), and it is not impossible that it will continue under RS-2 as an economic catalyst to strengthen the drone development ecosystem," Fahmi said.
The state government established the SDCoE at UNISEL's Bestari Jaya campus under RS-1, with the aim of positioning Selangor as the leading drone industry hub in the ASEAN region.
The strategic initiative is intended to drive the aerospace economy by providing a comprehensive modern technology ecosystem.
