With the development of a new round of technological revolution and industrial transformation, the low-altitude economy, as an emerging comprehensive format, is gradually appearing in the public eye.
The Central Economic Work Conference held in Beijing in December last year listed the low-altitude economy as a strategic emerging industry; At this year's National People's Congress and the National People's Congress, "actively building new growth engines such as biomanufacturing, commercial aerospace, and low-altitude economy" was written into the government work report. According to the "National Three-dimensional Transportation Network Planning Outline", by 2035, the scale of China's low-altitude economic market is expected to exceed 6 trillion yuan, with broad development space.
At present, the term low-altitude economy continues to be hot, but many people are still unfamiliar with it. What exactly is a low-altitude economy? What are the development opportunities? What difficulties and challenges remain? What changes and impacts will it bring to people's production and life? Focusing on the above issues, recently, the upstream news (report mailbox: [email protected]) reporter conducted an exclusive interview with Jin Wei, research director of the Equipment Center of the Ministry of Industry and Information Technology and deputy secretary-general of the China UAV Industry Innovation Alliance.
What is the low-altitude economy
Upstream News: In many people's understanding, the low-altitude economy is drone delivery and air cars. In your opinion, what exactly is a low-altitude economy? How do you define this concept? What are the business formats of the low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: The scope of the low-altitude economy is relatively wide, not only drone delivery and air cars. The low-altitude economy is dominated by low-altitude activities, and various economic activities are generated as a result. First of all, low altitude generally refers to the range below 1000 meters on the ground, which is a generally agreed view. Low-altitude airspace activities below 3,000 meters are the traditional general aviation in the past, which we call general aviation.
Low-altitude activities in the low-altitude economy, including logistics, air vehicles, agricultural plant protection, emergency rescue, engineering surveying and mapping, aerial operations, flight performances, tourism, etc., have a wide range of business formats, especially after the rise of UAVs. Places that were previously invisible can be viewed by drone, and transportation can also be carried out. In the future, air cars, including some eVTOLs (electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft), will also be drones, and there will be some application scenarios that are currently unimaginable in the future. At present, logistics and manning may be areas with great potential for future development.
The use of general aviation aircraft, or low-altitude aircraft, such as traditional fixed-wing aircraft, helicopters, as well as unmanned aerial vehicles, eVTOL and other new aircraft to engage in low-altitude activities, including low-altitude R&D and manufacturing innovation derived from these activities, related service guarantees, supervision and other upstream and downstream content of the entire industrial chain, including the integration of various innovative technologies and other comprehensive economic forms, collectively referred to as low-altitude economy. In the future, the low-altitude economy has huge room for development.
Upstream News: In your opinion, what are the characteristics of the low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: At present, there are the following aspects: First, it is innovation-driven. At present, most of the enterprises that produce and develop UAVs and eVTOLs are private enterprises, with high innovation efficiency, rapid product technology upgrading, rich and diverse technical routes, multi-rotor, composite wing, vector propulsion and other configurations, which are very different from the traditional fixed-wing and helicopter types before. In my opinion, the low-altitude economy is an innovative form of economy.
Second, it is cross-integrated. The low-altitude economy is developed with new energy, new technologies and new materials, and many industries can achieve cross-integration, including new energy vehicles can share the industrial chain, and it is the integration of various modes of transportation together. For example, flying cars can fly in the air and drive on the ground, and the characteristics of cross-integration are very obvious, especially with the integration of 5G and Beidou, a new generation of information technology. At the same time, aircraft is also a combination of electronic products and industrial products, and is the product of cross-integration of technology. The future low-altitude economy will be an integrated economic form of digital low-altitude, unmanned driving, and green power.
Third, it has the characteristics of an industry leader. The low-altitude economy has applications in all aspects, and this industry is driven by "use" that is, "flying", which is a comprehensive economic form.
In addition, the low-altitude economy also has a regional attribute. Because the flight range of low-altitude aircraft is often relatively limited, only two or three hundred kilometers, this is a limited area, which is in line with the development characteristics of the local economy. I think this is one of the reasons why various places are willing to develop a low-altitude economy.
Upstream News: As far as you know, what is the development process and background of the low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: From the perspective of general aviation, the development of low-altitude economy has indeed gone through a long process. In the 50s of the last century, the mainland began to use general aviation technology to kill mosquitoes; After 2000, there have been several rounds of development, including the introduction of the "General Aviation Flight Control Regulations" in 2003, which I think is a starting point for the development of general aviation.
After 2010, there were several waves of enthusiasm: in 2010, the State Council and the Central Military Commission issued the "Opinions on Deepening the Reform of the Management of Low-altitude Airspace in the Mainland", the industry is optimistic, but the relevant procedures are still very difficult to approve, the cost of related supporting services is very high, and the development is restricted; In 2016, the General Office of the State Council issued and implemented the "Guiding Opinions on Promoting the Development of the General Aviation Industry", and the concept of general aviation re-emerged, but the institutional factors such as airspace approval have not been effectively improved. During this period, the drone industry developed rapidly, especially in 2013, DJI released the "Elf" series of drones, which became the first year of drone development.
Around 2020, the state began to conduct research in this field, and since then it has proposed the future development direction and new development model and development path, that is, unmanned, electrified, and intelligent. The whole model of the low-altitude economy has changed, and this is also due to the fact that we have such a foundation and conditions to have such a change. From a technical point of view, the mainland already has an industrial advantage in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, and unmanned aerial vehicles are also the future development direction. Continental has achieved corner overtaking in the field of new energy vehicles, and it can also be achieved in the field of drones and eVTOLs. Therefore, the term low-altitude economy is not only a change in the name, but also a change in its characteristics, connotation, and mode, showing a new look.
The low-altitude economy changes the future of life
Upstream News: What is the key to developing a low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: The low-altitude economy is to use airspace resources to achieve economic value, which needs to be driven by application scenarios. At present, the market space for traditional fields that can be applied is limited, such as agriculture and forestry plant protection, surveying and mapping, power inspection, etc. The biggest markets in the future are logistics and distribution, as well as urban air mobility. However, I think there are still difficulties in the short term, especially in the future, manned urban air mobility is limited by many factors, and it will take time to achieve a trillion-level industry.
During this period of time, aiming at the future tens of millions of aircraft flying in the sky, relying on the current flight management mode is not possible, it is necessary to establish low-altitude intelligent networking and low-altitude intelligent connection infrastructure, including the construction of a large number of ground vertical take-off and landing fields, the deployment of intelligent interconnected systems and facilities and equipment, but also to connect these facilities and equipment with the aircraft, and at the same time need to formulate flight rules and corresponding standards. Therefore, I think the key point is to establish these infrastructure, digital systems, and it will be difficult to achieve future industrial development without these.
Upstream News: What are the important technologies involved in the low-altitude economy? What is the application of the industrial chain?
Jin Wei: I think the first thing is the technology of the aircraft itself. Aircraft should be very safe and reliable, and have intelligent and green characteristics. It involves the power technology related to the aircraft, including batteries, motors, electronic controls, etc., as well as safety and airworthiness technologies, which are very important.
In fact, logistics and manned aircraft are required to be airworthy, but from the perspective of quantity, the current corresponding airworthiness certification capacity is still difficult to meet the needs, and this method will definitely change in the future. I think that third-party testing institutions can be used, which is also the direction of development and reform supported by the state. At the same time, the relevant departments need to support and promote the establishment of relevant institutions and testing systems, which is a necessary stage of development. Regarding the construction of low-altitude infrastructure, it is very important to realize the digitalization and digital control of airspace, and I think it is difficult to break through some technical difficulties, and there is a lack of unified deployment and operation standards. In addition, the key technologies of the low-altitude economy also involve manufacturing, operation, use, regulatory services and other aspects.
From the perspective of the industrial chain, in addition to manufacturing and use, there are also application services, such as meteorological services, intelligence services, etc., for example, there may be platforms like Didi in air travel, which are all productive services of the low-altitude economy. In addition, there is training, such as drone operator training that many units are now engaged in; There are also financial insurance for low-altitude flight applications, such as the repair and maintenance of low-altitude aircraft. In terms of supervision and service guarantee, there are also command and control, low-altitude intelligent connection infrastructure construction, etc., which involve such as three-dimensional hangar enterprises, enterprises specializing in the construction of take-off and landing points, and related digital infrastructure construction enterprises.
Upstream news: It is reported that Hefei, Guizhou and other places have introduced a number of policies to support the development of low-altitude economy. In addition to the fact that the low-altitude economy just mentioned has certain regional attributes, what do you think are the reasons why many places in the mainland are vying to develop the low-altitude economy? What will be the impact of developing a low-altitude economy? What changes will it bring to people's production and life?
Jin Wei: Because of the huge economic potential of low-altitude and several trillion-level scenarios, the relevant documents also mention three areas: emergency rescue, logistics and express delivery, and manned flight. Such a huge market potential and development space are in line with the needs of local governments looking for new economic growth points. From the perspective of low-altitude manufacturing, it can not only bring local tax revenue, but also have a high input-output ratio of high-tech aircraft, and can also achieve employment.
In fact, people's production and lifestyle have changed, for example, agriculture used to rely on manpower or other machines to complete plant protection operations, and now many agricultural plant protection work is applied to drones, and the efficiency has been greatly improved. In addition, there are power inspections, logistics and distribution, etc., which make people's production and life more convenient and efficient. The low-altitude economy can meet the people's yearning for a better life.
The development of a low-altitude economy has an advantage on the mainland
Upstream News: As far as you know, what is the development status of the low-altitude economy in the world? How does the performance of countries differ in this area? What is the status and level of the continent in it?
Jin Wei: On a global scale, the development of low-altitude economy has its own characteristics and differences. In the field of unmanned aerial vehicles, the continent is a global leader; In the field of eVTOL, the continent is not much different from other countries, but there are more players in the United States and Europe; In the field of traditional fixed-wing aircraft and helicopters, European and American countries have more advantages for a longer period of development.
In terms of developing the low-altitude economy, the mainland has obvious advantages in the field of unmanned aerial vehicles. The sales volume of light and small UAVs in mainland China occupies about 70% of the global market share, and its technology and products are at the world's leading level. In terms of eVTOL, the world's first manned and cargo eVTOL production license has been bagged by mainland enterprises. In terms of related industrial support, the mainland has a new energy vehicle power battery base, and the new energy battery company CATL has also entered the field, with an energy density of up to 500Wh/kg of condensed matter batteries, and the company is engaged in the cooperative development of civil electric manned aircraft projects. In addition, the mainland's traffic management, signal management system, 5G network, Beidou satellite system, etc. in rail transit are all advantages of the mainland, and the advantages of industrial supporting facilities are very obvious, and many enterprises in related fields are involved. From the central to the local, the mainland's laws, regulations, standards and norms are also leading in the world, and the relevant systems are gradually improving, and the mainland also has a super-large-scale market advantage.
At present, there are still some problems and challenges in the development of the low-altitude economy in the mainland, such as the construction of infrastructure, breakthroughs in key technologies, the formulation of regulatory rules, safety precautions and other issues. The mainland's low-altitude economy is still in the cultivation stage.
Upstream News: In your opinion, what is the future development space and growth potential of the low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: I think the future development space and development potential of the low-altitude economy is very large, and it will form a trillion-level industry, especially in the fields of logistics and manning. The future low-altitude economy will be the integration of "end-network-cloud", "end" is advanced aircraft, "network" is low-altitude intelligent networking and three-dimensional infrastructure network, "cloud" is the supervision system platform, "service" is the corresponding service guarantee system, and "use" is the application scenario. In the future, with the continuous improvement of the industrial ecology, the scene in which we imagine that the sky is full of aircraft will also be realized. To paraphrase a popular phrase in the industry: a day with busier skies is inevitably coming.
Upstream News: What advice do you have for businesses and individuals who want to enter the low-altitude economy?
Jin Wei: I hope that individuals can strengthen their understanding and experience of the low-altitude economy and aviation field, and can participate in more activities such as aviation science popularization and low-altitude experience, including experience flight, parachuting, tourism and other projects.
For companies, I think companies in the industry, especially those that produce large drones and eVTOLs, need more support. Because this field requires a lot of investment, the technology application is changing quickly. There are also some cross-border enterprises such as the Internet, automobile manufacturers, etc., which are not originally involved in the aviation field, and need to have a certain aviation foundation, such as fully considering aerodynamic performance in the aircraft configuration design, otherwise the final designed products will face elimination in the market competition. In addition, enterprises can also target some scenarios to develop some aircraft products in a targeted manner. At the same time, enterprises also need to innovate in terms of business models and make full use of digital means to innovate.
Upstream News: What are your opinions and suggestions on the policies and regulations related to the development of low-altitude economy in the mainland?
Jin Wei: The laws and regulations in the field of UAVs are now relatively sound, there are relevant rules and regulations, system platforms, and some standards are gradually improving, but there is still a lack of digital low-altitude operation control systems and standard rules that can ensure large-scale and high-density flights, and the operation standards for future commercial scenarios also need to be formulated. The laws and regulations in the field of eVTOL still need to be continuously improved, including the same third-party airworthiness as large UAVs, low-altitude manned digital supervision and flight rules, as well as the promotion of take-off and landing site construction and the unification of charging interfaces. These are things that need to be improved urgently, and there is still a lot of work to be done.
Upstream news reporter Qi Xin