Why global collaboration on equitable advanced air mobility is key to unlocking opportunities for all

Developing countries are not just observing from the sidelines but are actively leveraging advanced air mobility (AAM) for a range of applications. Some have been at the forefront of deploying these technologies, spearheading time-critical operations to reach the most vulnerable people and places.

These countries have been some of the first to demonstrate how advanced air mobility can unlock access to universal needs such as food, healthcare and education. So, what can we learn from the developing world and is there a deeper role these nations play that we must tap into for the acceleration of global adoption and integration of these emerging technologies?

The developing world has identified these disruptive technologies as tangible solutions to address pressing needs in an organic way. With no existing or complex airspace restrictions and regulations that need to be navigated, remote and rural regions have been leading the way in adopting AAM.

At the same time, developed nations are leveraging their world-leading technological expertise, financial investment, and manufacturing capabilities to deploy advanced air mobility. Their ultimate goals are to secure global competitiveness through widespread commercialization, and spur universal adoption through favorable regulations.

Here are some examples of how initiatives in developing countries are leading the way on advanced air mobility, and actions developed countries can take.

India’s Medicine from the Sky Initiative began in 2010 to improve healthcare access in rural and remote communities that were geographically difficult to traverse by car or bus; areas with extreme climatic conditions that led to landslides and flooding, which often led to blocked roadways; and locations that needed immediate access to vaccines, lab samples and prescription drugs.

Lessons learned included that autonomous drones were eight times faster than traditional ground transportation of medical care and though drones faced difficulty navigating in medium and heavy rains, they were the best solutions for providing care in rural and remote communities in challenging terrains.

Exposing local communities to drones also created workforce opportunities, including the first woman to obtain a drone pilot’s license in Arunachal Pradesh and local youth transporting medical goods via last-mile delivery.

This initiative highlights opportunities for developed countries to invest in R&D to accelerate technology advancements in cameras, sensors and LiDAR systems, etc. to improve safe navigability in extreme weather conditions.

Both developing and developed countries should augment workforce initiatives, alongside commercial drone deployments in rural and remote locations, creating a pathway to economic prosperity. Furthermore, both should prioritize drone deployments in hard-to-reach communities, including rural and remote regions, and people in climate-impacted areas.

This can proactively remove the barriers for communities that have long suffered from inequitable access to goods and services.

Drone delivery company Zipline in 2023 partnered with Ghana’s Ministry of Education to offer an expanded curriculum to several science, technology, engineering and mathematics (STEM)-focused schools.

In addition, Zipline delivered exams to students impacted by school closures due to extreme flooding. This public-private partnership enables Ghana’s youth to receive drone education and training with extended benefits for direct services including the transport of school supplies and exams.

The initiative highlighted that partnerships with drone companies can help solve challenges in providing access to school services, including curriculum and school supplies. Plus, students exposed to drone deployments and technologies have a greater possibility of pursuing STEM careers, including operations, hard tech and software development.

Developed nations can learn from this experience by exploring public-private partnerships that can expand school curriculum to include aviation, innovation, autonomy and software development. Both developed and developing nations should pilot drone deployments at schools to improve access to books, supplies, medications and food for students and families.

Latin America and the Caribbean are contributors to agriculture worldwide, with exports reaching $107 billion in 2022 alone. These areas are highly susceptible to insects and plant diseases, impacting crops such as coffee, sugarcane and bananas.

The location of these plantations often makes it challenging to deploy traditional pesticides in terrains that are mountainous or crops with taller heights. Addressing these challenges, Chinese drone company, DJI Agriculture, launched a precision-based agricultural pesticide drone that has been used in several countries in Latin America and the Caribbean.

The autonomous drone deployments in agricultural regions, which have been in operation for close to 10 years, have benefited farmers by helping them proactively monitor and secure their crops from vulnerabilities such as plant diseases and pests.

It also showed that while agricultural drone deployments have been beneficial to farmers and local communities, workforce opportunities are needed to support drone operations and maintenance.

This particular case study highlights that drone deployments should be considered in agriculture-producing developed countries that have challenges with pesticides, crop diseases, and wildlife mitigation needs, as should investing in education and R&D focused on food science, agriculture, and technology.

Many developed countries are already ambitiously pursuing the large market potential of these technologies with research, development and investment programmes. Government initiatives and public-private partnerships include the NASA Advanced Air Mobility National Campaign in the US, the UK’s Future Flight Challenge and the UAE’s Advanced Air Mobility programme.

Even though some progress has been made, developed countries continue to grapple with the complexities of integrating AAM into their built environment and existing ecosystems associated with healthcare, food/agriculture and education.

For tangible benefits, data collection and sharing, regulatory frameworks, harmonized standards and community adoption are essential. These key enablers can be accelerated using information gained from real-world applications already demonstrating the safety, reliability and viability of advanced air mobility solutions in the developing world.

This includes understanding operations in diverse microclimates, navigating challenging geographical areas and terrains, and co-developing pathways with local communities to implement AAM cognizant of social sensitivities.

Furthermore, lessons from the developing world utilizing AAM on the front-line of climate change, such as measuring environmental impacts and providing humanitarian aid, go far beyond altruistic goals. These are essential as the developed world increasingly faces the same challenges.

Advanced air mobility is anticipated to bring several critical benefits, supporting the United Nations’ Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs) including economic growth, enhanced connectivity, saving lives and delivering critical support.

But to realize the socio-economic benefits of these disruptive technologies around the world, we must explore wider global cooperation and international collaboration with frameworks and initiatives encompassing developing and developed nations working together. By doing so, we can achieve additional benefits of local workforce development, upskilling, job creation etc.

Taking this into account, initiatives to consider include:

This holistic approach can mitigate the exacerbation of socio-economic gaps that can potentially result as developed nations further advance these novel technologies.

In many developed countries, transport options already exist to support these core industries and advanced air mobility will enhance efficiencies in delivering goods and services. With many parts of the developing world lacking or having limited access to healthcare, food and education, the benefits can be transformational, whilst ensuring these nations do not get left behind.

Writers Justine Johnson and Kerissa Khan are both members of the Global Future Council on the Future of Autonomous Mobility.