As the FAA gears up to increase drone regulations in the US, the Japanese government announced that it would slash regulations on drones in order to promote their use, calling them part of the “fourth industrial revolution.”
The second meeting of Japan’s Public-Private Dialogue towards Investment for the Future was held yesterday at the Prime Minister’s Office. The meetings were established in an effort to boost Japan’s participation in new technology, part of a plan to lift Japan’s sluggish economy. Members discussed investment trends and fields of innovation.
Based on the discussion, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said: “Investment is the key to a productivity revolution and it is through investment that we will lead the world in realizing a fourth industrial revolution. I believe that the challenge for a fourth industrial revolution is all about speed. Autonomous driving, drones, and the healthcare and medical fields are all promising fields in which safety and convenience can be achieved together. In the forum of this dialogue we will move quickly to determine specific measures in these fields.”
The Prime Minister stated that he would make drone delivery a reality within 3 years, and called for the immediate establishment of a council of government and industry stakeholders to discuss “specific structural and systemic requirements.”
He also said that Japan will enable drones and construction machinery to be operated and for data to be sent and received remotely from more distant locations than before. Abe announced that Japan will develop a new telecommunications infrastructure, including the expansion of usable frequency bands and enhanced output capacity, by next summer.
Also cited as part of the “fourth industrial revolution” at the meeting, autonomous driving and the use of artificial intelligence in the medical field will be encouraged through deregulation and infrastructure support.
Miriam McNabb is the Editor-in-Chief of DRONELIFE and CEO of JobForDrones, a professional drone services marketplace, and a fascinated observer of the emerging drone industry and the regulatory environment for drones. Miriam has penned over 3,000 articles focused on the commercial drone space and is an international speaker and recognized figure in the industry. Miriam has a degree from the University of Chicago and over 20 years of experience in high tech sales and marketing for new technologies.
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The Dutch government should follow this also, no you need to invest 15000 euro’s to get a certificate and still you can’t fly on the placed that you want.
Asian countries especially Singapore should follow Japan’s “fourth industrial revolution” slashed drone regulations. Allow expansion of this industry which I could see great potential in the future.
I’m specifically interested what is happening with regard to FPV, and drone racing. This is a booming sport that is less on the commercial side, which sounds like the focus of this article, but still a very large revenue stream for many industries.
See the today’s article on California Cup; thanks for bringing up the topic. I’ll look at it more.