Naver is investing in a global drone specialist as it moves to expand a “physical AI” ecosystem combining autonomous flight drones and artificial intelligence.

Naver said on Sunday it has invested in global drone specialist Ubify.

Ubify specialises in drone swarm flight technology and autonomous flight platforms. It recently became the first South Korean drone company to win the “$10 million export tower” award. It is also the only South Korean company participating on the board of the Dronecode Foundation, a global body that oversees PX4, a core operating system for the drone industry.

Naver plans to use the investment to seek synergies between its capabilities in AI, cloud and digital twins and Ubify’s drone hardware and operational technology. It expects that this could expand new uses in physical AI that combine autonomous flight drones and AI in the public sector and smart-city areas.

Naver CEO Choi Soo-yeon (최수연) said drones are being seen as one of the important future technology areas as the potential for AI to expand into the real world grows, including physical AI, autonomous driving and robotics. She said combining Naver’s physical AI capabilities with Ubify’s drone technology could create new possibilities across a range of industries.

Ubify CEO Lim Hyun (임현) said he was pleased to become a strategic partner with Naver, which has AI capabilities at a top global level. He said the investment will help Ubify further advance its swarm drone technology and fully implement physical AI solutions across a range of industrial sites, including the public sector and smart cities.