Nanshan has become an important base for the drone industry with more than 150 enterprises engaged in the industrial chain, a report showed.
The report was released at Nanshan Drones Supply and Demand Matchmaking Conference on Wednesday. The output value of the district’s drone industry reached 35 billion yuan (US$5.49 billion) between January and September this year.
At the conference, Nanshan Emergency Administration signed a framework with Shenzhen Micro Multi Copter Aviation Co. Ltd. to deepen cooperation in rescue and disaster relief, patrol and supervision, and further improve the management level in handling emergencies.
According to the report, the future of the drone industry will develop in two directions: one for “unmanned+,” using unmanned technologies for developing products like unmanned automobiles, robotics and underwater vessels, and the other for “aircraft+,” relying on aviation technologies for different aircraft like manned aircraft, electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft and flying taxis.
With Shenzhen as the capital of drones in the world, Nanshan District is its core area. The report suggested that Nanshan lay out a full-chain drone industry by focusing on research and development of core technologies, manufacturing key spare parts, solution integration and service applications, and taking advantages in enterprise research, electronic spare parts, and AI’s technological and industrial prowess.
DJI is the most famous and the leader among enterprises in the drone industry. DJI holds approximately 70 percent of the global market of small-sized consumer drones and employs over 3,000 staffers. It is also the producer of one of the world’s most popular drone models – DJI Phantom 3.
Aside from DJI, AEE Aviation Technology, Zero Tech, Flypro and many other companies have chosen Nanshan as their base focusing on producing unmanned aircraft. AEE Aviation Technology is the only drone maker involved in drafting industrial standards with the Ministry of Public Security. The company has its own research institution and manufacturing base in Shenzhen.
Another popular drone company, Smart Drone, which started to specialize in developing drones in 2014, has grown in popularity by creating drones that can fly about three times longer than its competitors’ products.