Macau targets 10-15-minute drone deliveries for medical samples

Macau is eyeing drone deliveries for medical samples, with officials hoping to cut transport times to 10-15 minutes despite the city’s tight spaces and no-fly zones.

In a bid to develop a low-altitude economy, Macau is pushing ahead with a pilot program for drone-based medical sample transport between the Conde de São Januário Hospital and the Macao Medical Center of Peking Union Medical College Hospital, with the goal of completing deliveries within 10 to 15 minutes, Economic and Technological Development Bureau (DSEDT) director Yau Yun Wah told public broadcaster TDM’s radio program. However, he warned that the city’s dense urban fabric and extensive restricted airspace present significant operational challenges.

The government is taking a cautious, step-by-step approach to low-altitude economic development, with a working group set up to coordinate cross-departmental efforts. Trial flights for Macau-Hengqin drone routes are underway, but customs, airspace, and standards issues remain, with Iao stressing that expansion will only happen when conditions are right.

Meanwhile, the Macau Government Tourism Office (MGTO) acting director Jennifer Si Tou Lam Lai said the office would also push the industry to develop green and pet-friendly tourism products and environments, while launching drone-themed events to enrich visitors’ nighttime experiences in line with the low-altitude economy push.

Tech Park Draws 19 applicants, investment up 30%

During yesterday’s program on economic diversification, authorities highlighted the Macau Science and Technology Research and Development Industrial Park as a key strategic initiative to overcome spatial constraints and strengthen the local innovation ecosystem.

The park, which focuses on four priority sectors – biomedicine, integrated circuits, digital technology, and aerospace – has already attracted 19 applications from companies seeking to set up operations, including seven in digital technology, seven in integrated circuits, two in biomedicine, and one in aerospace, as of last month.

On the investment front, the government’s one-stop investor service handled 156 projects between January and July this year, involving some MOP 2.3 billion, with 95 of those falling under the “1+4” industrial categories – a year-over-year increase of 30%.

Authorities also said they would promote the MICE sector as a platform for investment attraction, using major brand exhibitions and international trade shows to help Macau businesses expand locally and globally.

Macau’s one-stop cross-border e-commerce service has helped nearly 400 businesses lower their entry barriers and explore mainland markets, with many turning to livestream sales, according to the program.

The “Macau Signature” program, launched this year, has already received 83 applications from businesses and influencers, offering official certification badges to boost the credibility of Macau products and support local brands in going global.

DIGITAL MACAU PATACA IN SANDBOX TESTING

Macau’s Digital Pataca, e-MOP, is in sandbox testing and could link with mainland China’s Digital RMB, e-CNY, by year-end, allowing residents to pay with the digital currency wherever Digital RMB is accepted, the chairman of the Board of Directors of the Monetary Authority of Macau (AMCM), Simon Vong, said.

A memorandum of understanding has been signed with the People’s Bank of China to simplify small-value cross-border transfers, with the system expected to go live by the end of this year, cutting time and costs significantly.