SINGAPORE - Urban and infrastructure consultancy Surbana Jurong and drone startup AeroLion Technologies have joined hands to develop unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) technologies, or drone solutions, for built and natural environments, the parties said on Tuesday (April 9).

Under a memorandum of understanding, the partners will develop UAV solutions for project applications such as land reclamation, workplace safety, site progression and fault detection in enclosed areas such as buildings and tunnels.

Through the partnership, Surbana Jurong aims to integrate the solutions into its processes to raise productivity and offer advance data-driven UAV solutions to its global clients. This will be done by combining operational data with the UAV's artificial intelligence platforms.

Wong Heang Fine, group CEO of Surbana Jurong, said the company already uses UAVs as part of its project processes. These include conducting inspections and surveillance, high-precision data collection as well as security-led activities by its subsidiary AETOS.

The company also has a dedicated digital management office to drive technology applications throughout the group and improve efficiencies.

"Our collaboration with AeroLion Technologies will further ensure our leadership in the area of UAV applications," Mr Wong added.

Wang Fei, CEO of AeroLion Technologies, said: "By collaborating with Surbana Jurong, we aim to share our UAV expertise in the built environment while learning from one of the best in this industry."

The statement added that AeroLion Technologies is slated to launch "novel solutions" for the built environment, following its recent launch of autonomous tunnel inspection UAV platforms. The firm produces unmanned aerial vehicles, or drones, which can carry sensors and cameras.