As a representative of the new quality of productive forces, the low-altitude economy is promoting the transformation of economic activities from "plane" to "three-dimensional" through revolutionary breakthroughs in technology and innovative allocation of production factors, integrating various forms of business such as aircraft development, low-altitude airspace flight, and infrastructure construction and operation. With the maturity and application of electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL) technology, the trillion-level low-altitude economic market is accelerating, and the enthusiasm for developing low-altitude economy is high. As far as local governments are concerned, how to grasp the objective law of economic development, properly handle the relationship between input and output, and achieve a high-level balance between market demand and supply are topics that must be studied at present. On the one hand, with the acceleration of industrial and consumption upgrading, people's demand for low-altitude economy is increasing, and on the other hand, the acceleration of innovation and iteration of low-altitude flight technology is also constantly creating new supply and generating more new demand.
At present, the development of the mainland's low-altitude economy is still in its infancy, and it is mainly facing three problems. First, the top-level design needs to be improved. Since the implementation of the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of Low-altitude Airspace Management in the Mainland", the mainland has introduced a series of systems, norms and plans in low-altitude airspace management and general aviation development, but there is still a lack of basic systems and norms in low-altitude economic development industrial planning, infrastructure construction, operation supervision, etc., and the airworthiness certification cycle in some areas is long and the special support policies are insufficient. Second, the value output has not yet been demonstrated. At present, the low-altitude economic value chain of the mainland is mainly focused on the R&D and manufacturing of midstream aircraft and downstream license training, and the main consumers are concentrated in the public service side and enterprise client, and the application scenarios and market value have not been fully released. For example, Wuhu City, Anhui Province, has been deeply involved in the low-altitude economy for more than 10 years, realizing the independent production of general aircraft, unmanned aerial vehicles, aero engines, propellers, avionics systems, simulators, and accessories of the Ministry of Aviation, but the scale of low-altitude economic output value in 2023 will only be 40 billion yuan, less than one-seventh of the automobile industry. Third, the vitality of the main body of business is not strong. In the low-altitude economic industrial pattern of the mainland, the general aviation field is mainly dominated by large state-owned enterprise groups such as AVIC, Hangfa Power, and Zhongzhi Co., Ltd., and the main enterprises in the field of UAVs are DJI, AVIC UAVs and Aerospace Rainbow, etc., and the industrial ecology of "leading enterprises - specialized and special new enterprises - small and medium-sized enterprises in science and technology" has yet to be cultivated.
To promote the high-quality development of the low-altitude economy, it is necessary to accelerate the promotion of "low-altitude +" to empower economic growth, implement systematic innovation in increasing the development and application of scenarios, promoting R&D and manufacturing, promoting cross-border cooperation, unifying the construction of facilities, and improving the institutional system, so as to accelerate the construction of the whole value chain of low-altitude manufacturing, flight activities, flight support, and flight services.
The first is to accelerate scenario development, create new demand, and release great value. Accelerate the launch of a series of application scenarios, driven by demonstration and certification, create new consumer demand, release industrial value, and promote the low-altitude economy to achieve a virtuous cycle of "production-circulation-consumption". Further sort out the list of "low-altitude +" scenarios, classify and introduce special support policies according to commercial operation scenarios, public service scenarios, and general scenarios, guide business entities to actively explore the application of low-altitude flights in various fields of primary, secondary and tertiary industries, strengthen the positive role of low-altitude economy in upgrading the quality of life of the masses, promoting consumption and employment, and improving the quality of urban functions, turning technological innovation into rich scenes, turning rich scenes into broad markets, and continuously releasing economic and social value. Set up a low-altitude economic development pilot area in the pilot area for the development of military-civilian integration in general aviation, further relax the restrictions on low-altitude airspace, and allow civil unmanned aviation and general aviation tests such as public services, aviation consumption, and production operations, so as to promote the agglomeration and development of low-altitude scenarios and provide a number of replicable experiences.
The second is to promote R&D and manufacturing, gain new advantages, and build a large chain. Carry out technical research in core areas such as core components, key raw materials and flight control, intelligent obstacle avoidance, countermeasures and anti-interference, promote the research and development, system integration and engineering application of key common technologies, promote the extension of the chain and the strengthening of the chain, and continuously improve the resilience and safety of the industrial chain. Accelerate the development of low-altitude equipment manufacturing integration clusters, build a number of manufacturing bases and R&D platforms, set up special funds and guidance funds for low-altitude economic development, attract private capital investment, encourage enterprises to enter multi-level capital market financing, expand the new model of integration of industry and education, introduce high-level compound talents, promote the integrated development of industrial chain innovation chain, capital chain and talent chain, and form an agglomeration coupling effect.
The third is to promote cross-border cooperation, incubate new business formats and expand large space. The development of low-altitude economy also depends on the cross-border integration with new energy, logistics, big data and other industries, through the integration and innovation of "low-altitude +" artificial intelligence, "low-altitude +" new energy, and "low-altitude +" Internet, more disruptive technological innovations will be generated, and a high degree of coordination between information flow and traffic flow will be promoted, and the second Internet economic space will be explored. Combined with the needs of green, low-carbon and environmental protection development, we will promote the commercialization and large-scale application of unmanned, electrified and intelligent new general aviation equipment, introduce eVTOL into comprehensive three-dimensional transportation network planning, and enrich the new business forms of shared travel and short-distance transportation. Accelerate the cultivation of exhibitions, consulting, science and education, culture and media, leasing, insurance, intermediary agency service formats, and promote the deep integration of low-altitude manufacturing and modern service industries.
Fourth, unify facility standards, promote new infrastructure, and build a large platform. The development of low-altitude economy is inseparable from the support of the large base of low-altitude information facilities and flight support facilities. At present, the domestic low-altitude economic infrastructure mainly relies on the construction of navigation facilities, and the infrastructure such as low-altitude intelligent networking and air traffic control system is relatively lagging behind, and there is no unified standard. Accelerate the construction of low-altitude information facilities, promote the construction of space-ground integrated network infrastructure such as 5G communications, Beidou positioning and navigation, and broadcast automatic related monitoring bases, optimize low-altitude communication networks, promote the construction of infrastructure and operation standards such as general airports, flight service stations, maintenance bases, communication and navigation, meteorology, oil depots, and fixed charging, and further improve the construction and operation of low-altitude airspace control systems, unmanned aerial vehicle flight information systems, and unmanned aerial vehicle countermeasure systems, and build intelligent integrated low-altitude system platforms.
Fifth, improve institutional guarantees, build new systems, and serve great development. Accelerate the formulation of the mainland's low-altitude economic industry development plan, clarify the medium and long-term goals of industrial development in multiple dimensions, and guide the healthy development of the low-altitude economy. According to the law of industrial development, the low-altitude economic statistical index system should be scientifically formulated to strengthen the support of development data. Strengthen the coordinated promotion mechanism, realize "one network acceptance, one network for all handling", and provide users with convenient services such as airspace and route declaration, flight plan declaration, aviation meteorology and flight information. Promote the deployment of specialized airworthiness management service institutions in qualified areas to improve the efficiency of airworthiness certification. Increase special policy support, strengthen the construction of systems and norms in low-altitude economic fields such as airspace, safety, and environmental protection, and guide more business entities to participate in investment and operation. Strengthen publicity and display charm, popularize low-altitude culture, and guide the whole society to participate in the development process and share the fruits of development.