Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Japan eVTOL-maker SkyDrive has decided to make South Carolina its base for entry into the US market, following up on an initial invitation it received last July.
Last year, the Japan External Trade Organization (JETRO) introduced SkyDrive executives to an office hub program based in Beaufort (along South Carolina’s Atlantic coastline between Charleston and Savannah, Georgia) called the Landing Pad. The Japanese firm was provided–for a period of ninety days–free office space and assistance from local agencies and businesses in order to accustom itself to local conditions.
While SkyDrive was not obligated to stay in Beaufort after the program ended, it was the objective of the local authorities to encourage the company to nest within the local area, and this goal has now been achieved.
SkyDrive CEO Tomohiro Fukuzawa explained that “the decision to make South Carolina our home base and our window into the US market was an easy one considering that it is a significant player in both the commercial and military aviation industries, and it is home to more than four hundred aerospace and aviation companies, including Boeing and Lockheed Martin. I sincerely believe that the vast number of resources available in South Carolina will provide SkyDrive with a substantial platform that enables us to achieve our goals.”
Harry M. Lightsey III, Secretary of Commerce at State of South Carolina Department of Commerce, celebrated the decision: “The future of advanced manufacturing, aerospace, and vehicle industries is here, and South Carolina is proud to welcome SkyDrive, an industry innovator, to our rapidly growing aerospace cluster. SkyDrive’s advanced electric propulsion technology and sustainable transportation implications are the perfect fit for South Carolina’s business roster and the state’s growing business development goals. South Carolina extends a warm welcome to SkyDrive and we look forward to supporting the company on its journey to continued growth and success.”
In addition to locating its US offices in South Carolina, SkyDrive has also announced that it is studying “practical use cases” for the SD-05 eVTOL in cooperation with two local airports. First is the Columbia Metropolitan Airport, which hosts more than 25 daily flights and is served by American Airlines, Delta Air Lines, and United Airlines, as well as major cargo firms. The other is the Greenville Downtown Airport, which is home to various flight schools and the Military History Center Museum, among other things.
James D. Stephens, Airport Director at Greenville Downtown Airport, commented: “Greenville Downtown Airport is partnered with SkyDrive to assist with the modeling of an Federal Aviation Administration-compliant advanced air mobility ecosystem that will serve our local region and state. We’ve done so because the airport needs to know what the infrastructure developmental needs will be in the future. We believe that the impact of advanced air mobility in Greenville will create a new form of transportation that eventually becomes part of the normal transportation processes within our community and around the world.”
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