Intelligent CIO APAC Issue 22 | Page 49

COUNTRY FOCUS : KOREA rney towards the

UT was established as a joint venture between SKT and Uber in 2021 , bringing together SK ’ s T Map platform and Uber ’ s ride sharing technology . Joby and Uber have been collaborating since 2019 .
“ By joining forces with Joby , a global leader in this field , we expect to accelerate our journey towards the era of Urban Air Mobility and lead the way on introducing this exciting new technology ,” said Ryu Young-sang , CEO of SKT .
“ Collaborating with leading global companies is essential to securing leadership in future industries , which we are confident will be driven by the growth of UAM , autonomous driving and robots .”
Joby has spent more than a decade developing the technology behind its aircraft , completing more than 1,000 test flights and becoming the first , and only , eVTOL company to sign a G-1 ( stage 4 ) Certification
Basis for their aircraft with the Federal Aviation Administration ( FAA ).
JoeBen Bevirt , Founder and CEO of Joby , said : “ We are thrilled to be partnering with the team at SKT who bring a wealth of relevant experience and technology to the table .
“ With more than 42 million people living in urban areas , South Korea offers a remarkable opportunity for Joby to make air travel a part of daily life , helping people to save time while reducing their carbon footprint .”
While Joby ’ s aerial ridesharing service will be operated directly by the company and offered to passengers via the Joby app or the Uber app in core US markets , this announcement reflects Joby ’ s strategy to partner with local companies committed to delivering exceptional customer service and operational excellence to launch its service in select markets outside the US . p
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