Wuhu Low-altitude Economic Province Future Industry Pilot Zone Sets Sail

News from this web (Reporter Wang Shining) According to the latest announcement by the Provincial Development and Reform Commission, Anhui has launched its first batch of provincial-level future industry pilot zones. The Wuhu Low-Altitude Economy Provincial Future Industry Pilot Zone will be led by the Anhui Xinwu Economic Development Zone. Centered around the Wuhu Aviation Industrial Park, the pilot zone will focus on key areas such as low-altitude equipment manufacturing, service networks, and scenario experimentation, driving coordinated development across the industrial chain. By 2027, it aims to become a nationally leading and highly competitive innovation hub for the low-altitude economy, with comprehensive strength ranking among the top in China. 

Currently, the pilot zone has established China's most complete low-altitude equipment industrial chain, gathering nearly 200 upstream and downstream enterprises in fields such as aviation new materials, drones, and engines, with an annual output value exceeding 20 billion yuan. The park has achieved localized production of general aircraft, with domestically produced twin-engine light general aircraft holding over 70% of the domestic market share. It has also made breakthroughs in emerging sectors like drones and electric vertical take-off and landing aircraft (eVTOL). Core components such as the Diamond Aircraft Engine AEC2.0 and Huaming Aviation Electronics' CR9 integrated avionics system have filled domestic gaps, while Jinxuanfeng Aviation Propellers' products are exported to 74 countries and regions. 

In terms of innovation-driven development, the park has formed a research and development system of "one academician, one theme, and one center" by relying on platforms such as Wuhu Low-altitude Economic Research Institute and Beihang Wuhu General Aviation Innovation Park. The proportion of corporate R&D investment has exceeded 10% for consecutive years. It has presided over the formulation of 540 national and industry standards and built 77 national and provincial innovation platforms. Breakthroughs have been made in airspace safety management, with the completion of a low-altitude intelligent network verification project, the layout of 29 temporary take-off and landing points and 40 routes, and the comprehensive application of low-orbit satellites, 5G communications and other technologies to build a three-dimensional control system. A total of 35 batches of airspace approvals have been obtained.

According to the plan, the pilot zone will focus on implementing four major strategies: building a highly competitive low-altitude equipment manufacturing cluster in China, striving to achieve national production of general aviation manned aircraft by 2025 and national production of large unmanned aerial vehicles by 2027; establishing a domestically influential low-altitude scene experimental base, researching and designing an "air taxi flight network", building an emergency rescue base in the Yangtze River Delta, and helping to build a low-altitude economic corridor between Shanghai, Jiangsu, Zhejiang and Anhui; cultivating a domestically innovative low-altitude industrial ecosystem, jointly with Wuhu Aviation Vocational College and Anhui Information Engineering College to deepen the integration of industry and education, and build a talent training base for the Yangtze River Delta aviation industry; building a domestically attractive low-altitude service network system, deploying more than 100 take-off and landing nodes, and building an intelligent integrated low-altitude service platform, striving to become the first batch of pilots authorized for low-altitude safety supervision. The Provincial Development and Reform Commission stated that it will coordinate resources to support the construction of the pilot zone, accelerate the formation of an innovative pattern of the entire chain of "equipment-scene-ecology-service", and inject new momentum into the integrated development of the Yangtze River Delta.