KINSTON – The North Carolina Global
TransPark will host an international conference next week – the first time
in its six-year history to be held in the United States – on the latest
developments and trends in the field of unmanned cargo aircraft.
The Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Conference, which runs March
19-21, will explore the emerging technology to transport goods to areas that do
not have the infrastructure or geography to accommodate traditional forms of
transportation.
“North Carolina has a long history of aviation and aerospace
innovation, so it is fitting that North Carolina was chosen to host the
conference for the first time in the U.S.,” Global TransPark Executive Director
Allen Thomas said.
Unmanned cargo aircraft are smaller and more aerodynamic than
manned aircraft yet can carry up to 10 tons of goods over both short and long
distances. The technology not only means the potential for more efficient
delivery of cargo but the ability to aid in disaster relief operations and new
economic opportunities for areas that are difficult to reach. (Learn more about unmanned cargo aircraft.)
The Global TransPark is a division of the N.C. Department of
Transportation, which has established itself as a national leader in
implementing unmanned aircraft systems, paving the way for continued public and
private innovation.
"This conference is a great chance to showcase the future of
unmanned aircraft, especially here in North Carolina,” said Bobby Walston,
director of NCDOT’s Division of Aviation. “We're already working to use drone
technology for crash scene reconstruction, marine habitat monitoring, medical
supply delivery and more. This is an exciting possible next step."
Registration for the event is still open at the
conference website.
About the
Conference
The Unmanned Cargo Aircraft Conference is being organized by the
Netherlands-based Jakajima, hosted by the North Carolina Global TransPark and
supported by U.S. Cargo Systems, Lenoir County Economic Development, Lenoir
Community College, the Global TransPark Foundation, Lenoir Committee of 100 and
North Carolina Aerospace Corridor.
It features 14 speakers from international companies, associations
and start-ups, including two from East Carolina University and the NextGen Air
Transportation Consortium at North Carolina State University, which will present
on the integration of unmanned aircraft systems for healthcare package delivery
in North Carolina.
Conference topics will include:
- Business models for unmanned cargo aircraft
- What unmanned cargo aircraft could – and should – look like
- Where and under what conditions unmanned cargo aircraft should fly
- The social and economic benefits of unmanned cargo aircraft can
contribute to economic and social development
- How unmanned cargo aircraft can contribute to innovation and the
opportunities they generate for new enterprises
About North Carolina Global
TransPark
A division of the N.C. Department of Transportation, the North Carolina Global
TransPark is one of the most innovative and forward-thinking multimodal
developments in the world. The business park supports the manufacturing and
logistics needs of the aviation, aerospace, defense, emergency response and
advanced materials industries.
The Global TransPark features a centerpiece 11,500-foot runway,
on-site rail connections, shovel-ready development sites, available facilities
and an onsite Foreign Trade Zone.
Its strategic location to interstate and connector highways
provides easy access to military installations, colleges and universities,
metropolitan areas and North Carolina's ports in Morehead City and
Wilmington.
Features of the Global TransPark also include customized training
opportunities at a 2,950-square-foot composite training lab, and partnerships
with the state’s network of colleges and universities means a highly skilled
workforce to support the growing needs of companies doing business at the
park.