Digital Skies in East Africa

Basic Information

Grant ID: K-159

Region: Africa

Country: Malawi

Approval Year: 2020

Grant Year: Year 8

Amount Approved by Donor: $450000.00

Main Product Line: ASA

Sector: Transport

Grant start/completion: June 3, 2021 – February 29, 2024

Grant Status: Active

TTLs: Maria Catalina Ochoa Sepulveda, (Co-TTLs) Edward Charles Anderson

Grant Activities

Project Summary:

The current gaps in transport infrastructure in Africa are vast. Hard-to-reach communities face higher costs for goods and long wait times for deliveries; which results in lower productivity of rural facilities challenges reaching the SDGs from health to agricultural productivity to food security. In this regard, drones are a prime example of “low cost”, clean, resilient emerging technologies of this new industrial era. Integrating cargo drones into supply chains enhances delivery networks and augments the resilience of rural communities using new and clean technologies. Against this background, this project is rooted in client demand anchored in lending operations in Malawi and intends to build on the momentum, partnerships and knowledge generated through the 2020 African Drone Forum (ADF) and collaboration with Korean entities on Drones for Africa. As such, this grant will not only help to operationalize the best practices identified during the ADF and support the phased development of at-scale drone services in Africa, but will also adapt to the new COVID-19 requirements and renewed urgency for drone solutions as well as broker key partnerships for long term success. 

List of Activities:

  • Conducting Market Analysis and Supply Chain Assessment for key medical network services 

  • Developing a National Strategy and Digital Skies Roadmap that assesses key enablers and phased implementation of priority drone corridors, with emphasis on the current pandemic and expected mid-term vaccine and health delivery 

  • Providing Technical Assistance, including regulatory reviews, Unmanned Traffic Management Requirements, and Service Tender models 

  • Assisting the development of partnerships and knowledge products via training and local knowledge exchange with African Drone and Data Academy  

Outcomes:

Output 1:

  • Cost-Benefit analysis report to inform green and efficient supply chain strategy 

Output 2:

  • Develop methodological framework and roadmap for drone applications in the country of focus.

Output 3:

  • Availability of knowledge products and tools 

Output 4:

  • Staff and entrepreneurs trained in new services and procedures 

Output 5:

  • Increased firm and institutional partnerships formed

Outcomes:

The expected outcomes of this project will allow for: (i) the adoption of low cost, autonomous aerial cargo and mapping services in Malawi, with a focus on the health supply chain and pandemic resilience; (ii) promotion for the decarbonization of future transport via electric and fuel-cell drone technology, (iii) enhanced resilience of supply chains for critical goods with rapid, all weather, deliveries in complement to surface logistics, and (iv) connection with hard-to-reach communities to offer inclusive services to marginalized citizens.  

Collaboration with K-Partners and Others:

  • Korea Advanced Institute of Science and Technology (KAIST) that will help with advancing state of the art knowledge and expertise for advising client governments by collaborating on knowledge products, dissemination events and provision of experts
  • Ministry of Land, Infrastructure and Transport (MOLIT) that will help broker access to Korean industry and expertise to support African drone delivery services and enabling services (eg. logistics, surveying, utm), powerplant and cold storage).
  • World Economic Forum (WEF)
  • UNICEF that will allow for the strengthening of strategies and frameworks for drone ecosystem development through collaboration on regulatory roadmaps and shared toolkits for risk management of drone operations.