Japan-based eVTOL manufacturer SkyDrive has signed a partnership agreement with 7A Drones, a major drone system company in Taiwan, and the Industrial Technology Research Institute (ITRI), a Taiwan-based applied research organisation, to explore the potential for eVTOL operations in Taiwan.

This partnership aims to jointly develop use cases for the emergency medical transport of patients and physicians using the SkyDrive SD-05 eVTOL aircraft. The project focuses specifically on the Penghu Islands, an island group located off Taiwan's west coast, with the initial planned routes connecting various islets within the archipelago's Magong City. In addition, 7A Drones has placed a pre-order for up to 10 SkyDrive aircraft.

In March 2024, SkyDrive entered into a business partnership with 7A Drones and ITRI to collaborate on mutual business development and market expansion efforts in Japan and Taiwan. Under the newly signed partnership agreement, the parties aim to use the SkyDrive to connect Penghu Island, the main island in the Penghu Archipelago, with surrounding inhabited islets within a 10-kilometre radius. This initiative will initially focus on providing the infrastructure required to dispatch physicians.

The Penghu Archipelago comprises 90 islands of various sizes, 19 of which are inhabited. The lack of adequate emergency medical provision on these isolated islands generates an elevated need for emergency medical transport, and meeting this need is a long-standing challenge. As an initial use case, the project will focus on connecting a hospital in Magong City and Hujing Island

The three companies aim to launch the above services from 2028, with these eVTOL operations forming part of the Taiwanese government's broader advanced air mobility policy.

This project is being advanced through public-private collaboration in Taiwan, with various government agencies, research institutes and private companies each contributing their respective expertise. Stakeholders are working together across areas such as operations, regulatory development, technical evaluation, vertiport infrastructure and medical coordination, aiming to establish new public healthcare infrastructure using eVTOL technology.

SkyDrive intends to leverage the model being developed in the Penghu Islands as a foundational platform for the operation of further eVTOL businesses in other parts of Taiwan. This expansion will include similar medical services as well as innovative urban route concepts that strategically widen the scope of eVTOL operations into other sectors including tourism.

Tomohiro Fukuzawa, CEO of SkyDrive says: “We are very pleased to enter into a partnership with 7A Drones and ITRI to advance the commercialisation of eVTOL operations in Taiwan. In Taiwan, particularly on remote islands, there are significant challenges related to emergency medical services, and eVTOLs can play a central role in addressing these issues. By combining SkyDrive's expertise with the extensive operational knowledge of 7A Drones and the broad organisational capabilities of ITRI, we aim to contribute to local communities in Taiwan while building a sustainable air mobility model that will serve as a precedent for other regions in Asia. We look forward to furthering our long-term collaboration with public and private partners to establish a sustainable and robust business foundation.”

Hsin-Sheng Hsu, CEO of 7A Drones adds: “We are honoured to collaborate with SkyDrive Inc., one of Japan's leading eVTOL manufacturers, and the ITRI, Taiwan's premier public research organisation, to jointly advance a project aimed at realising an air mobility society in Taiwan. Taiwan is home to numerous remote islands which face urgent, critical issues including not only the transportation of daily necessities and medical supplies but also the establishment of a rapid emergency medical transport system for doctors and patients. Through this project and in close partnership with SkyDrive and ITRI, we aim to build an environment where every citizen in Taiwan can access appropriate medical services regardless of geographic constraints. Moving forward, we remain committed to building a more sustainable and inclusive next-generation air infrastructure through public-private collaboration.”

Wen-Yang Peng, deputy general director of Industrial Technology Research Institute concludes: “We are honoured to collaborate on this project with SkyDrive Inc., a leading Japanese eVTOL manufacturer known for its highly reliable control systems, lightweight aircraft and high-efficiency airframe design, and also with 7A Drones, a Taiwanese company with extensive experience in drone development and inter-island logistics. Together, we aim to expand the position and contribution of air mobility within Taiwanese society.”