ASKA and College of Design and Engineering at NUS sign Memorandum of Understanding to advance next-generation aviation

ASKA, an advanced air mobility company developing hybrid-electric drive-and-fly VTOL vehicles, has signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) with the College of Design and Engineering (CDE) at the National University of Singapore (NUS) to collaborate on cutting-edge research and development across aviation, energy, and intelligent systems.

The MOU establishes a framework for cooperation between NFT Inc., doing business as ASKA, and the Department of Mechanical Engineering within CDE at NUS. The collaboration aims to accelerate innovation in advanced air mobility, aviation battery technologies, aerospace systems, materials science, and artificial intelligence, control automation, while fostering education, talent development, and joint research initiatives.

A cornerstone of the collaboration is the Parties’ intention to jointly pursue next-generation aviation battery technologies for electric vertical take-off and landing (eVTOL) and advanced air mobility applications. This includes plans to explore the establishment of a joint laboratory dedicated to experimental research, prototyping, and testing of high-performance aviation-grade battery systems.

Under the MOU, ASKA and CDE will explore a range of collaborative opportunities, including joint research and development in advanced batteries, propulsion systems, composites, avionics, AI, and autonomous flight technologies.

“This collaboration with CDE at NUS represents an important step in advancing the technologies needed for safe, scalable, and sustainable air mobility,” said Guy Kaplinsky, Co-Founder and CEO of ASKA. “By combining ASKA’s applied aviation expertise with NUS’ world-class research capabilities, we aim to accelerate innovation from laboratory research to real-world deployment.”

“This MOU reflects our commitment to translating fundamental research into technologies that address global mobility and sustainability challenges,” said Associate Professor Palani Balaya, the Technical Lead from the Department of Mechanical Engineering under CDE at NUS, overseeing the implementation of projects under the MOU.