KTC Selected for Core Technology R&D for UAM Vertiports…Building Future Transportation Systems
Research on deriving high-power automatic charging specifications and standardization for UAM essential technology
Project to be carried out until December 2026... Expected to drive the advancement of vertiport charging systems
▲ KTC Gunpo Headquarters Panoramic View
On the 16th, the Korea Testing Certification Institute (KTC, President Seong-il Ahn) announced that it had been selected as the implementing organization for the “Development of Mobile Modular Vertiport Design, Construction Technology, and Monitoring System R&D Project,” part of the Core Technology Development for the Safe Operation System of Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM), promoted by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport’s National Agency for Urban Air Mobility (NAUM).
*Vertiport: A compound word of vertical and airport. It refers to the takeoff and landing site for Urban Air Mobility (UAM).
This project will be pursued with a total budget of 10.51 billion KRW over approximately 2 years and 9 months, until December 2026. It will involve specialized personnel and equipment from KTC’s Aerospace Business Center under the Mechanical Convergence Business Division and the Electric Vehicle Charging Technology Center under the Energy Business Division.
KTC has formed a consortium with Hyundai Elevator, the main research organization, along with Chungnam National University, Cheongju University, NINANO, and Lotte E&C as joint research institutions. Together, they have jointly won the “Development of Mobile Modular Vertiport Design, Construction Technology, and Monitoring System” project.
This project is one of seven R&D projects under the “Core Technology Development for the Safe Operation System of Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM),” led by the UAM Team Korea, a 110-member public-private-academic policy community aimed at providing seamless future transportation within urban areas.
The research project is divided into three main areas and six detailed tasks: ▲Design and construction of mobile modular vertiports ▲Detailed design of UAM aircraft precision takeoff and landing monitoring systems ▲Development of prototypes.
KTC will lead the R&D for deriving specifications and standardizing high-power charging infrastructure, one of the six detailed tasks.
Through this project, KTC plans to research and establish a “megawatt-class high-power automatic charging” system and technical standardization plan, essential for UAM operation and safety systems post-2025 UAM initial commercialization. Additionally, KTC will prepare standards and guidelines for the operation and commercialization of charging stations, promoting the standardization of this technology.
As a result, KTC aims to establish specifications for manual and automatic charging systems dedicated to UAM, expand the commercial viability of megawatt-class high-power automatic charging technology, and provide technical guidelines and standards for system construction by participating in international standard groups related to ultra-fast charging.
KTC President Seong-il Ahn stated, “Through the implementation of this research project, we will strengthen the safe operation system of Korean Urban Air Mobility (K-UAM), contribute to the standardization and commercialization potential of ultra-fast charging technology, and play an important role in enhancing the future competitiveness of the national industry, as well as the development of the UAM field.”
