Gov’t approves 66 regulatory sandbox projects in mobility, hydrogen sectors for tech advancements

The government said Friday it has approved 66 regulatory sandbox projects to promote innovation in the advanced industries of mobility and hydrogen, as well as other fields.

In the mobility sector, the government gave a nod to the pilot testing of wireless charging of self-driving electric vehicles (EVs) by the Korea Automotive Technology Institute, according to the Ministry of Trade, Industry and Energy.

The state-run Agency for Defense Development has been approved to demonstrate an unmanned underwater vehicle powered by hydrogen fuel cells, while Kia Corp. has received permission to test a mobile hydrogen fuel cell generator capable of rapid power supply in emergency situations.

Regulatory sandbox projects allow companies to test innovative products, services and business models with temporary regulatory flexibility and without oversight from authorities.

“We reviewed demonstration applications involving products and services that utilize advanced technologies, with a particular focus on areas of the development of next-generation defense technologies,” an official at the ministry said.

The official added that the government will continue to support the testing and commercialization of new technologies across various sectors.