Sumitomo and Kanematsu to Lift Singapore eVTOLs

Akihabara News (Tokyo) — Both Sumitomo Corporation and Kanematsu Corporation have made large investments in UK-based Skyports, which is already developing drone delivery operations in Singapore and seems to be edging toward eVTOL operations as well.

In the latest news, Skyports announced that its Series B fundraising exceeded US$26 million. Sumitomo and Kanematsu are major contributors.

This comes on top of an alliance unveiled in February between Sumitomo, Skyports, and ST Engineering to provide drone services for shore-to-ship parcel delivery in the port area of Singapore.

Their stated goal is to create a drone delivery network capable of carrying parcel payloads of up to 10 kilograms.

Ichiro Tatara, general manager of the Commercial Aviation Department at Sumitomo, stated that “unmanned aircraft systems are a potential infrastructure-enabling sustainable transportation. We are very excited to launch a pilot program for shore-to-ship parcel delivery together with ST Engineering and Skyports, and we believe this partnering is a great team and provides sustainable and efficient service to vessels in Singapore.”

Skyports, best known for its vertiport development, also has multiple ongoing projects in Japan.

In April last year, Skyports and Kanematsu unveiled an alliance to develop infrastructure for both the drone delivery and eVTOL sectors.

Last May, Skyports began working with the prefectural government on the Osaka Prefecture Super City, a project launched in 2020 to pioneer “the city life of the future.”

By this February Skyports was also offering its expertise to the Japan Civil Aviation Bureau regarding eVTOL infrastructure development.

Most recently, in May, Skyports and Kanematsu–joined by Park24 and Aioi Nissay Dowa Insurance Company–announced a four-company agreement to construct a vertiport in the Kansai region, perhaps followed by additional projects.

This web of business alliances around Skyports appears likely to link several Japanese firms–particularly Sumitomo and Kanematsu–with the birth of eVTOL services in Singapore as well as in Japan.

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