Futurise unveils drone sports centre of excellence

• To be a hub for drone racing, high-performance drone activities
• Based near Kuantan, it will be opened to public before year-end

Futurise Sdn Bhd (Futurise) has officially announced the launch of the National Academy for Drone Sports Excellence (AKSADRON), located in Kuantan, Pahang.

In a statement, the company claimed AKSADRON is the country’s first drone sports zone and is set to be a hub for drone racing and high-performance drone activities. AKSADRON will feature a drone racing track and will play host to internationally sanctioned drone sports events.

The academy will also pioneer unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) development programmes to cultivate a vibrant pool of Malaysian talents for this emergent industry, it said.

“With AKSADRON, we will see greater cultivation of our Malaysian talent to meet the demands of the growing drone industry in the nation and across the globe,“ said Indera Mohd Shahar Abdullah, deputy finance minister (I).

“We are delighted that Pahang was selected to house Malaysia’s first-ever Drone Sports Centre of Excellence and is in line with Paya Besar’s township development plans.”

Rosihan Zain, chief executive officer of Futurise, said, “Drone technology possesses a multitude of compelling potential for many sectors from agriculture to defence, proving to be a game-changer in industry transformation.

“AKSADRON will prime Malaysian talents with the necessary high-level UAV expertise through various training programmes. The academy will be a place of both recreation and creation—cultivating the sport of drone racing while giving rise to new highly proficient talents for multiple sectors.

“AKSADRON marks another milestone in Futurise’s commitment to develop UAV for the nation, a journey that began in 2019 when we established the country’s first Drone Testing Zone (DTZ) in Cyberjaya,” said Rosihan.

Futurise said AKSADRON will feature an internationally sanctioned drone racing track with a pilot pit, spectator stands and a control tower.

It is envisioned to be a vibrant one-stop centre for drone sports enthusiasts and technical experts alike with complete facilities including classrooms, workshops, flight simulators, workspaces, and accommodation, it said.

Located at Tasik Paya Bungor within the Paya Besar vicinity in Kuantan, Pahang, the site is approximately 3.15 acres in size and is further surrounded by open space conducive for high-performance drone flying.

AKSADRON is expected to be opened to public before year-end, it said.

The groundbreaking ceremony also featured a drone racing demonstration and presentations from the Malaysia Sports Aviation Federation (MSAF) and the Drone Racing Association Malaysia (DRAM). These organisations will be appointed as advisors to AKSADRON together with other relevant stakeholders.

Futurise said it will manage and administer AKSADRON and will partner MSAF and DRAM to enable a variety of training programmes spanning from beginner to advanced levels.

Drone enthusiasts can participate in high-performance drone flight clinics, as well as drone building, and maintenance courses led by industry experts, it added.