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Lawmaker supports low-altitude economic zone

Writer: Zhang Yu  |  Editor: Zhang Chanwen  |  From: Shenzhen Daily  |  Updated: 2023-03-09

Gao Wen, a deputy to the National People’s Congress and director of Pengcheng Laboratory, has voiced suggestions supporting Shenzhen in exploring the establishment of a low-altitude economy demonstration zone at the annual sessions of China’s national legislature and top political advisory body.

Gao, also a member of the Chinese Academy of Engineering, expressed support for exploring a low-altitude airspace integrated operation and management mechanism, activating low-altitude airspace resources and forging a new path to promote low-altitude airspace reform nationwide, Shenzhen Special Zone Daily reported.

The low-altitude economy relies on low-altitude airspace and is driven by the low-altitude flight activities of various manned and unmanned aircraft.

The low-altitude economy has continuously empowered industries such as transportation, logistics, and culture and tourism, providing new impetus for the development of the national economy. This year, building a center for the low-altitude economy was written into Shenzhen’s government work report.

It is predicted that by the end of 2025, the comprehensive contribution of China’s low-altitude economy to the national economy will reach 3 trillion yuan (US$430 billion) to 5 trillion yuan, becoming a new economic growth point, according to Gao.

The unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV) industry showed the strongest momentum and by the end of 2021, there were over 12,000 UAV operators nationwide and more than 830,000 UAVs had been registered.

Leading enterprises including Meituan, SF Express, Heli-Eastern, DJI and JD.com have also invested heavily in R&D in fields such as low-altitude logistics, passenger transport and plant protection, laying a technical foundation for the development of the low-altitude economy.

In Gao’s view, Shenzhen has the strength and confidence to explore the low-altitude economy for the country.

From the perspective of industrial foundation, Shenzhen’s UAV industry has an annual output value of 60 billion yuan and over 1,500 related enterprises. The city, as a core city in the Guangdong-Hong Kong-Macao Greater Bay Area, also has a huge demand in low-altitude markets such as logistics and transportation, personal consumption, short-distance transportation and business flights.

In August last year, the Civil Aviation Administration approved the pilot zone for unmanned civil aviation in Shenzhen for urban scenarios and comprehensive application expansion. Following the approval, Shenzhen set up a leading group for developing its low-altitude economy and rolled out corresponding plans.

Gao said that through a series of explorations, “it is not only conducive to promoting the development of Shenzhen’s low-altitude economy, but also sets an example and bears significance for the development of domestic and international low-altitude industries.”