An eVTOL aircraft developed by AutoFlight in Shanghai. [Photo provided to International Services Shanghai]

The Shanghai municipal government has unveiled an action plan for the high-quality development of the low-altitude economic industry between 2024 and 2027. Below are the key highlights.

Major goals by 2027

Establish a complete industrial system encompassing the research, development, design, assembly, manufacturing, airworthiness testing, and commercial application of new low-altitude aircraft. This will position Shanghai as a leading global hub for innovation, commercial application, and operational services in the low-altitude economy.

The core industry is projected to exceed 50 billion yuan ($7 billion), placing Shanghai at the forefront of global innovation and development in the low-altitude economy.

Collaborate with other cities in the Yangtze River Delta region to establish China's first network of inter-provincial low-altitude navigable cities.

1. Nurturing industrial leaders

Support will be provided to nurture:

-Over 10 leading enterprises in the research, development and manufacturing of eVTOL aircraft, industrial-grade UAVs and new energy-powered general aviation aircraft;

-Around 20 leading providers of low-altitude operational services and 3-5 top providers of airworthiness certification services;

-More than 100 key supporting enterprises.

2. Developing iconic products

Develop over 30 iconic products, covering complete aircraft, key systems, and components.

Establish mass production capabilities for over 200 industrial-grade UAVs and ton-class cargo eVTOL aircraft annually, along with more than 100 ton-class passenger eVTOL aircraft.

3. Enhancing infrastructure

Construct distributed takeoff and landing facilities for small, medium, and large low-altitude aircraft, alongside new facilities for communication and navigation, energy, meteorology, and storage.

Upgrade low-altitude testing and flight test bases.

Develop a distinctive low-altitude economy industrial park featuring comprehensive ground-to-air connectivity, with fully-equipped test runways and ample flight test airspace.

4. Expanding commercial applications

Implement over 100 low-altitude flight service applications across various commercial scenarios, including logistics transportation, emergency rescue, low-altitude tourism, smart cities, and passenger transportation.

5. Strengthening comprehensive support

Establish a coordination mechanism for the opening of low-altitude airspace.

Build an integrated platform for the comprehensive supervision and management of UAVs, and set up a certification and inspection center for new-type low-altitude aircraft.

Key tasks

1. Nurturing industrial leaders

(1) EVTOL leaders: Focus on developing 4- to 6-seater passenger eVTOL aircraft. This will stimulate the growth of the industrial chain for core components, including motors, motor control systems, flight control systems, and composite materials.

(2) Leaders in industrial-grade UAVs: Support the development of medium- and long-range heavy-lift drones and last-mile delivery drones for low-altitude logistics. Utilize new energy sources, such as lithium batteries and hydrogen fuel, to enhance performance.

(3) Leaders in new energy-powered general aviation aircraft: Support the development of new energy power technology, including pure electric, hybrid electric, and hydrogen energy. Focus on creating new energy-powered general aviation aircraft with 19 seats or fewer, and encourage the pursuit of both domestic and international certifications and operations.

(4) Leading providers of operational services: With an emphasis on commercial applications, support enterprises in obtaining civil unmanned aircraft operator certificates to advance low-altitude operational services.

2. Providing key supporting systems

(5) Advanced power: Support the research, development, and industrialization of key components, such as high-energy-density aviation power batteries and high power-to-weight ratio electric propulsion systems. Accelerate the integration of new energy power systems with artificial intelligence and other emerging technologies.

(6) Networked communication and navigation: Support the development of network communication terminals for low-altitude aircraft. This includes enabling ground communication base stations to detect and monitor these aircraft. Promote innovative applications of key technologies, such as airspace management, and expedite direct connections between navigation systems and low-earth orbit satellite internet.

(7) Key systems: Integrate new technologies, such as artificial intelligence (including large models), integrated circuits, spatial positioning, blockchain, and swarm intelligence. Accelerate the industrialization of critical systems like flight control systems and avionics. Develop advanced materials and processes, including high-modulus carbon fiber and thermoplastic composites.

3. Building hard and soft infrastructure

(8) Infrastructure network: Accelerate the development of various takeoff and landing facilities, including large, medium, and small-sized sites, along with necessary energy infrastructure. Speed up the planning of general airports in Jinshan and Qingpu districts, in coordination with cities across the Yangtze River Delta region.

(9) Aviation network: Promote the shared use of communication and navigation system base stations and develop facilities for storing operational, detection, and meteorological data. Use dedicated frequencies for low-altitude flights. Increase the efficiency of dedicated frequencies for low-altitude flights.

(10) Air route network: Design a low-altitude air traffic network that connects the five new towns of Jiading, Qingpu, Songjiang, Fengxian and Nanhui, links Hongqiao International Airport with Pudong International Airport, and integrates Shanghai with surrounding cities in the Yangtze River Delta. Pilot low-altitude demonstration routes that extend from the suburbs to the downtown area. Plan and establish low-altitude flight routes to serve various application scenarios, and actively seek approval for urban air traffic management pilot projects.

(11) Service network: Create a collaborative management system for military, civilian, and local low-altitude flights, and develop a city and district-level safety operation management framework. Expedite the establishment of a city-level integrated platform for comprehensive UAV supervision and management, alongside a flight service center. Accelerate the construction of flight service stations to enhance coordination and "one-stop" service capabilities.

4. Developing industrial parks and platforms

(12) Industrial parks for the low-altitude economy: Support the development of specialized industrial parks in Jinshan and Qingpu districts that cover the entire value chain for eVTOL aircraft and industrial-grade drones. These parks will include essential infrastructure, such as test flight runways, and will have dedicated airspace for test flights.

(13) Headquarters cluster for the low-altitude economy: Encourage the Hongqiao International Central Business District to establish a headquarters cluster for the low-altitude economy, leveraging regional strengths in talent and research institutions.

(14) Service platforms for research and innovation: Establish city-level or national-level innovation centers, shared technology platforms, and business incubators specifically for the low-altitude aviation sector.

5. Enhancing management services

(15) Airworthiness certification: Strengthen the development of specialized talent teams for low-altitude aircraft airworthiness certification and enhance the capabilities of civil aviation airworthiness certification institutions. Establish research institutions dedicated to the airworthiness certification of new aircraft types, such as UAV systems and eVTOL aircraft, to support the certification process.

(16) Inspection and testing: Develop laboratories focused on airworthiness and safety assessments, covering such areas as communications, data links, power systems, and structural integrity. Establish an authoritative low-altitude aircraft airworthiness inspection and testing center to support innovative companies in obtaining airworthiness certification.

(17) Safety supervisory system: Enhance the development of regulations, standards, and norms for low-altitude aircraft, covering all stages from design and production to operation and maintenance. Support the development of efficient counter-drone systems and equipment, and build an integrated management system for rapid warning, precise identification, and effective response. Improve the classification, management, and utilization of data.

(18) Expanding industry influence: Showcase innovations in the low-altitude economy at prominent events, such as the World Artificial Intelligence Conference and the China International Industry Fair. Plan and host international conferences and exhibitions dedicated to the low-altitude economy to foster global industry collaboration and attract leading companies.

6. Promoting commercial applications

(19) Logistics and transportation: Support drone-based logistics operation between Jinshan district in Shanghai and Zhoushan city in Zhejiang province. Encourage Qingpu district to partner with leading logistics companies for cross-district, inter-provincial, and regional logistics services across the Yangtze River Delta. Expand the use of smart low-altitude last-mile delivery in central urban areas like Yangpu district, and develop the application of drone logistics in commercial districts, campuses, industrial parks, and residential communities.

(20) Emergency rescue: Deploy low-altitude aircraft for emergency scenarios, such as rapid drug transport, patient transfers, and disaster relief operations. Establish a routine cold-chain delivery route between the city's blood center and hospitals to ensure the timely delivery of critical supplies.

(21) Low-altitude tourism: Develop low-altitude aerial corridors along scenic waterways and other suitable areas. Implement commercial manned sightseeing experiences at tourist attractions, resorts, and suburban parks that meet airworthiness conditions.

(22) Smart city: Integrate low-altitude aircraft into urban applications, such as ecological monitoring, public safety, traffic enforcement, power line inspection, and the maintenance of agricultural and waterway systems. Enhance security measures for major events and activities in central urban areas using low-altitude technology.

(23) Manned transportation: Gradually implement pilot projects for manned aerial transportation in areas such as Jinshan district and the five new towns. Explore and promote commercial manned shuttle services between key transportation hubs, including Hongqiao International Airport, Pudong International Airport, and Longhua Airport, as well as connections between these airports and the five new towns. Accelerate research on manned general aviation between cities in the Yangtze River Delta, aiming to establish the country's first low-altitude inter-provincial general aviation network.

 

Source: shanghai.gov.cn

Note: The English version is for reference only; the official Chinese document shall prevail.